Bradley {nine months} (late)

Bradley,

You, my sweet son, turned 9 months old on 9/4/13! You are curious and want to know everything that is going on around you. There are many times that I just want to freeze time, but I love seeing your monthly growth and developments. You are growing up so very fast right before our eyes!

We went to your 9 month doctor appointment—no shots this time, yay! You weighed in at 20lbs, 10oz and 27’’ in length. You are wearing 12-18 month clothes, size 3 diapers and size 5 shoes. You look so grown up in your little boy shoes! When we put your 1^st pair of shoes on you, you cried. You didn’t realize you could still move around while you wear them! Now, you don’t mind them. They seem to provide a pretty good base for standing on our hard wood floors.

You are drinking about 25oz of expressed breast milk daily, but have started to take a bottle of formula at night before bedtime. Mommy just can’t keep up with your daily milk needs anymore! You are also getting the hang of drinking out of a sippy cup with a straw. You just love to eat and get so excited when we put you in your high chair and a bib around your neck! You are starting to want more and more “table foods” over eating baby food off a spoon. You have really great coordination when it comes to picking up food off of your tray and making it to your mouth. You still only have 2 teeth, but feel like a few more may be popping through any time now!

What stood out the most from this month are your social skills! I noticed when I took you to a birthday party how interactive you were with the other kids, no matter the age. You are not shy around other children and are just happy to play along! We took you to a local music class called “Music Together” and you were able to follow right along with what the other kids were doing. We think this is a great benefit of being in a daycare setting.

You are still standing, and cruising along any and everything. We are trying to break a bad habit standing in the bath tub! Bath time has been a struggle lately. No steps yet, but you can stand for a little while without holding on to anything. Any day now you are just going to be taking off and asking for the keys to borrow the keys to the car! Makes mommy sad!! You still “babble” a ton and say “da-da” and “ba-ba” mostly. When you’re upset you cry “ma-ma.” You like to shake your head “no” and bob your head to music. You are becoming more and more interactive with us; it’s been such a fun month!

 

Bradley Xavier, we love you so very, very much. You are such a sweet little boy and a joy to be around. We look forward to seeing you hit all your milestones and grow into your personality. Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back!

Weigh In

Not a happy weigh in. This is actually the highest number I've seen in awhile. Today I weighed in at 206.0, which is a gain of +2.6 from last week.  I could make a lot of excuses like...it's my time of the month, I'm gaining muscle from running (????? ha), water weight, 3 course dinner on Saturday night during date night..whatever. But what it comes down to, is I'm losing steam. Some days I feel really good about making the right food choices, getting a good run in, etc and other days I'm just "whatever." Clearly I was more "whatever" this week than on top of my game.

Then I saw this picture from the weekend....

Jordan and I on our date night Saturday before the Blake Shelton concert

 

Ouch. I can certainly tell my weight is creeping back up. And I don't feel good about that. I'm going to make this week really count. My 5k is on Sunday so I have 4 runs scheduled this week to ensure that I will be ready to run the whole 3.2 miles on Sunday. I'm going to really be on track on my eating too. I need to stay conscious of every choice I make when it comes to eating. I have been waaay too laid back.

Cheers to a great week!!

October goals

I haven’t done a monthly goal post…in probably forever, ha. I haven’t been the best at staying accountable lately, but I’m working on it. 

Here are my goals for October:

1.       Not stopping at the gas station in the mornings- UNLESS I desperately need gasoline.

2.       Run 3x a week

3.       ONE cheat meal a week

4.       Meal Plan every week

5.       Take lunch to work every working day

I’m going to be updating bi-weekly on how these goals are going, just so I don’t lose sight of them by the end of the month. What are your October goals??

Weigh In

This morning I weighed in at 203.4 which is a loss of -1.2 from last week. I'm actually surprised...I didn't have the best week, eating wise. I didn't really stick to our weekly meal plan and we ate out a few times. I did get in 2 runs this week, which were okay. I'm averaging about a 12 minute mile. I'm feeling OK with that. My next 5k is in 2 weeks.

We had a death in the family this week, which caused some emotional eating on my behalf. My beloved aunt lost her battle with cancer last Monday. Guys....I had ice cream three times last week. Yes, 3! One of those times I was crying and just shoveling it in. Not a good feeling! This week will be better...I really need to get my emotional eating in check.
Here are some of this week's eats (not pictured is all my ice cream ;))

Standard breakfast for me: Coffee, instant oatmeal and a banana

Sausage scramble..honestly wasn't too impressed. It was just sausage, sweet potatoes and onions roasted in the oven. It was edible, but bland...not my fave.

Low carb chicken stir-fry!! Yummmm!

 

I will be posting my meal plan later on this week :)

 

Bradley {eight months} (late)

Bradley,

Hey, sweet boy! You turned 8 months old on 8/4/13 and hit so many milestones! You are learning something new, it seems, every day. Daddy and I have even had moments where we look at eachother and say, “Did you know he could do that?!” You keep us on our toes, and always smiling. You are a very happy boy with the best smile around.

 

You finally got some teeth! A tooth popped through on the bottom, and within a day or so, another came up right next to it. For some reason, even with two little teeth in your mouth, it seemed to age you quite a bit! You are looking more and more like a little boy and less “baby.” You are wearing 12 month clothes, and size 3 diapers still. You are drinking about 30oz of expressed breast milk. You love to eat! You are eating baby food and some finger “softer” foods.  You have been very curious about mommy and daddy’s foods.

Sleeping has gone great, even with the transition into a new home. You’re still rocked to sleep every night and then placed in your crib. You usually fall asleep between 8:30-9pm and wake up at 8:30am on the weekends. You go to daycare at 6:30am on the week days.

 

We took a little family mini-vacation this month to Branson, MO with Mimi and your cousin Devin, and had a wonderful time! You were an awesome traveler. You were happy to be in your stroller, just looking around at everything. We really are lucky to have such an easy going, carefree baby! We feel like we can take you anywhere and you will be perfectly content as long as you have a dry diaper and food on hand.

A major milestone you hit this month is standing!! Standing! One night you were having a hard time falling asleep. Daddy and I were watching you on the baby monitor and noticed you were standing in your crib!! Ever since then you have been pulling yourself up to a standing position and anything; even our legs! You cruise along the couch and seem so sure of yourself. You give us that little confident smile like “I got this, Mom and Dad!”

 

Bradley bear, I can’t believe you’re already 8 months old. Slow down, time! We’re enjoying every minute, and we know you are too! Thank you for always keeping a smile on our faces and showing us true love and happiness. We love you so much baby bear!!

 

Weigh In + weekly meal plan

So I've decided to change my weigh ins to Mondays. First reason being that I work on Fridays and I can't blog from work. Secondly, I would weigh Friday, then splurge on the weekends. By posting on Mondays (my days off) that holds me accountable from the weekend.
So, yea. My weight. I've been fluctuating a good 5lbs since July. Today I weighed in at 204.6. Not my highest, but certainly not my lowest. Ugh. I'm really feeling the fluctuation too. Not meal planning, too much snacking, too much Dr.Pepper. All things I KNOW don't help in the weight loss department for me. I've really got to get on top of my weight loss journey..I feel like I've been in a stand still for too long now.

This photo was a real eye opener for me! I was walking and holding my son as he took his first pony ride! I look bigger than the horse!! Yikes.

 

So, another thing I'm going to be doing weekly is posting my meal plans. I try to stay pretty Paleo but I'm not always perfect. My husband and I also both work full time so we also need easy and convenient. Most recipes ar found on Pinterest (follow me: amarshall627) or just online. I will link to the original recipe:

 

Monday: low carb chicken stir fry

Tuesday: sausage scramble (I don't use mushrooms, add sweet potatoes)

Wednesday: chicken fajita, salsa and rice bowl

Thursday: Pulled pork stuffed sweet potatoes

Friday: Just regular grilled chicken on the gas grill

 

I use leftovers from every night for lunch the following day.

I think that's about it! I'm still trying to run 3x a week to gear up for my upcoming 5k! and just trying to take it hour by hour, day by day :)

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

 

Back at it

Well, I’m back in the running game. I have a hard time calling myself a “runner.” Yes, I’ve run some races and have improved with each time I get out there, but I picture a runner as a super athletic person. That’s not me. Heck, I don’t even really like running. I like the feeling of accomplishment, but the thought of getting off the couch to get out there is not appealing to me. But I’m going to do it. Why? Because I know I can, and it’s good for me. Plus, I like the whole “running community.” Cute neon shoes, talking about your PR’s and whatnot..it’s just a positive environment.

 

So I suckered my bestie into running the Prairie Fire 5k with me coming up on October 13^th. We haven’t run together since 2010! But we’re making a comeback. I feel like we’re pretty in synch with eachother and good, encouraging partners. My hairdresser taught me about the importance of a good partner. I envy her relationship with her running partner! They are running a marathon together next month as well!

Marlene and I @ Race for the Cure, 2010

 

My dad was a great partner as well. He was an awesome support when I got back into running in March when I was only 3 months postpartum. However, I slow him down. My dad can run laps around me, and I’m sure I discourage him when I have my “not as good runs.”  He is running a half marathon next month.

Me and my Dad at the Spring Prairie Fire 5k, 2013

 

Right now as far as training goes, we are trying to run 3x a week, just around our neighborhood. Now that Marlene and I live super close it is very convenient. The not so convenient part? Working full time with a baby. I’m tired in the evenings!! But we’re pushing ourselves and getting it done. We have 4 weekends until race day. Yikes.

Marshalls Do Med School {submitted applications}

Read: Last update

Ok. I last updated on June 26th about what we were deciding to do after Jordan got his average MCAT score back. We decided to just wing it apply anyway.

Here is the list of schools he ended up applying to:

A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Missouri
A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, Arizona
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Alabama
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University, Arizona
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University, Illinois
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Iowa
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Missouri
Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tennessee
University of Kansas, Medical School, Kansas
Meharry Medical College, Tennessee

It cost $650.00 to apply to that many schools if anyone is interested in that info, just keeping it real here! He submitted on 8/8/13, his transcripts were received on 8/20/13 and as of today, his applications are still processing. We've been told it can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks after all info is received for his file to be complete.

Obviously KU is our top choice. We did visit Kansas City University in July for an open house and were really impressed with the school. We love the Kansas City area though, and can really see ourselves living there. And of course, we loooove Tennessee after our vacation there last year and would be happy to live there as well. Actually, to be honest, we will be thrilled to go anywhere Jordan receives an acceptance.

That's all of an update as of yet, I'll touch base when/if we get any correspondence back from these schools! Thanks for the support!
 

Life Update

Oh my goodness, so much to update on. The last few weeks have been crazy, but I think we're finally getting settled into a good routine.
Here's a few things that's been going on:

1. This little cutie turned 9 months old! and guess what...I completely missed his 8 month post! what?! #momfail

 

2. I'm all signed up for the Prairie Fire Fall 5k on October 13th. The bestie and I are running it together this time, and it actually feels good to get back out there. I haven't ran...at all...since my last 5k in June. Yikes.

3. We are all moved into our new house. Loving it so far, but still need to make it "ours." Hopefully it doesn't taken me months to get things hung on the walls! Procrastination is my middle name apparently...

4. Jordan's med school applications are all submitted and "processing." Seriously, this is the longest process of my entire life!! However, he did meet with the director of admissions on Friday to go over his application. It wasn't technically an interview, just some feedback and he was feeling extra confident after speaking with him. I will do a Marshalls do med school update soon.

5. Speaking of my husband..he wrecked the car! He was making a left hand turn too soon and got hit. Luckily he wasn't hurt as it could have easily injured him. We take it in on Tuesday to have the damages assessed.

 

6. Two weeks ago I started another round of Whole30 and got my dad on board as well. Well, by the weekend we were moving and I fell off track. I started again this past week and did wonderfully until Saturday. What.the.heck!! So, yea. #fail but I'm not giving up. I feel like I'm living 85% Paleo. I'll do an update of what I've been eating soon. I'm still weighing anywhere from 201-199 if anyone is interested.

 

7. I'll end on lucky #7...follow me on instagram. I post probably way too often on there. But whatevs. Alliemarshall627

 

 

***Oh, one more thing. I need some serious blog help. I need a new layout and whatnot. and I want to be able to put one of those "pin it" buttons on my post. Apparently, I'm blogger illiterate and cannot do these types of things on my own, so can anyone help or refer me to someone to spruce this little page up? Can't believe I've been blogging for 3!! years now and I still have the same layout...***



 

Trip to Branson

Last weekend we took a very quick, last minute trip to Branson, MO as our last summer 2013 getaway. I will say this wasn't my favorite summer, and I wish we could have done more "family things" together, but things were just BUSY. Jordan took summer school, and the weather wasn't the greatest this season. But I'm glad we took this little trip. My mom and Jordan's cousin came along and it was a great time. Bradley did awesome on the car ride and in the hotel. I feel very thankful to have such an easy going baby!
On the first night after we checked into our hotel we went and checked out the outlet mall, which was within walking distance. Then we went to a BBQ place that had live music. Bradley loved all the music; one singer even came to our table and sang to him. Of course, I didn't have the camera. Mom fail.
The 2nd day we went to Silver Dollar City because they were having a great sale on tickets as their season was ending. I was surprised how well Bradley did in the stroller and in the park the whole day. He was perfectly content and loved looking around at everything going on. The park was super breastfeeding friendly which was very convenient; I appreciated all the nursing stations throughout the park. We rode rides, the train, saw a Louisiana Cajun style band play, ate ice cream, and just had a nice day..the weather was amazing!

 

 

I'm glad we were able to have this mini getaway. Life is about to get very busy!! Class started today; I am taking 6 hours and Jordan's taking 15 credit hours. Jordan is staying on top of his medical school applications. Oh yea..and we have those things called full time jobs, lol! We are also moving!! We are going to be renting a quaint little home closer to my family; we will be completely moved by the 2nd week in September. Whew!
I feel these next few months are just going to fly by, and next thing you know it will be time for Bradley's 1st Birthday :( Bring it on!

Bradley's Nursery {update}

Finally getting around to posting this.
I know this is nothing weight loss/healthy living related, but my life is so much more than weight loss at this moment. I want my blog to evolve more to show Allie..not just the former fat bride, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, you can see my original post on Bradley's Nursery here 

So before..we had a very blank canvas over his crib:

I had looked everywhere for inspiration..blogs, Pinterest, magazines etc. Nothing was really "clicking." I bought a few items to start some projects and just never got around to them. I knew I wanted to have some framed pics of him, but that would require getting professional pics done, and having them printed..so on and so forth. So basically the above the bed project just stood at a stand still.

When we transitioned Bradley into his crib at night I first realized that we needed some bumpers. Poor lil' guy was smashing his face against the sides. But there in lied another dilemma. I could not find just a single crib bumper I liked!! I didn't want any cartoons or extravagant patterns, and I didn't want to pay a pretty penny!

I ended up ordering these bumpers from Carter's, because it just worked and didn't cost a fortune.
Here's the finished project:

 

 Before and After

I drive my husband crazy 98% of the time, but I'm glad he loves me :)

 

So the picture frames are from Hobby Lobby. I framed 2 pictures of him and one of my maternity pictures. I took a 11x13 frame and removed the glass and framed a B. It didn't exactly come out exactly 100% of what I envisioned, but that's okay because I never had a clear vision anyway :)

Bradley loves his nursery, and he's done SO WELL sleeping in his crib throughout the night. I will do a post on transitioning from cosleeping into the crib soon!

 

Weigh In

Hey all, guess where I'm posting from today?? You guessed it..my phone!! I think my work computer secretly has blogger blocked from posting, even though I can log on and read/leave comments.

Anyway, I did weigh in at 203.4 this morning, which is exactly a one pound loss from last week. I need to get back to ONEderland. This is ridiculous.
I had a whole weeks worth of blog posts in my head..then I didn't blog all week! #fail

Follow me on instagram: alliemarshall627 I love IG.

Oh, and thanks for the comments last week about me not looking like I weigh 200+lbs. I took a front view pic today..I feel like I'm WIDE. Love handles, butt, hips, thighs. Oh, and upper arms. Anyway, here's where I'm at today.

Weigh in

Oh my goodness, I'm having issues posting on blogger again. What is the deal?! Highly annoying, but I'm blogging from my phone instead.
This week I weighed at 204.2. Yea. I said I'd never see the 200's again and I'm there. I hate this!!
I know what the problem is. I had a lot of emotional eating..more or less binges..over the weekend and it has taken a lot to pull myself out of that and get back on track. I'm still not 100% back on it yet, but at least I'm conscious about my actions in regards to what im eating.
So here's today..And cheers to a new week to turn this weight loss journey back around:

What I'm lovin' Wednesday

Oh my goodness, I haven't done one of these posts in ages. Today is still considered Wednesday, right? Ah, yes..2.5 hours to go until Thursday!

Although I'm striving to become a better me I need to take a step back and remember how truly blessed I am in life. Here's what I've been loving lately:

My hubby, obviously. I am so thankful for his love and support, and friendship. We make such a great team. Love him so much.

 

My baby bear Bradley. This boy is too much fun!! I cannot believe he is turning 8 months old this weekend! ahh my baby

 

 



KCUMB is a medical school we went to tour. Realllllly hope we end up in Kansas City for medical school fall 2014!!!

 

Lately I've been wearing the Revlon whipped foundation. LOVE. It really does last 24 hours..I actually feel like it looks better throughout the day. I bought this per the recommendation from Jaclyn Hill on YouTube.

 

and last but not least....

THIS post from Emily at Our Knight Life it was seriously one of the realest blog posts I've read in a long while regarding REAL life parenting behind social media. We all see the moms on Instagram and Facebook who's houses look perfect and their kids are dressed perfectly, etc etc. Emily was able to shed some light on how life isn't always so cookie cutter! It definitely made me feel better as I've had a hard time getting through my mind and letting go of that perception of the ideal mom who's shoes I don't always fill.

 

I'm sure there are tons of other things I've been loving, but this is what comes to mind right now!

 

Here are some posts I'm working on:

-Bradley's nursery update

-What I've been eating update

-August goals and how I failed miserably on July's goals

-Weigh in on Friday

 



 

 

 

Becoming a better me

Life has been pretty overwhelming this past week or two. Some things have happened in my personal life that I'm choosing not to blog publically about. The only way to go from here is up, in my opinion.

I'm just me...Allie.

But I want to be a better me.

 

I want to be a better

Mom

Wife

employee

blogger

friend

citizen

sister

 

 

My diet has been terrible. Plain and simple. I've gained a good 5lbs back. I haven't been the best employee; sometimes it is easy to get distracted by social media and not be as productive as I could be at my job. Little snarky comments have been exchanged between my husband and I..not the way I want to act towards my love. Just all these little things stack up and start to weigh me down. There are times I just want to hit a "restart" button.

 

I want that motivation to exercise..to meal plan..to plan something fun and spontaneous to do for my little family. I guess my "restart" is now because I feel like I am falling into a major slump. Everything, except Bradley, is affected by my "slump." Bradley continues to be my #1 priority in every way, but there's always room for improvement to be the best mom I can be.

 

Have you ever felt like you were just in a major funk?

How did you get out of it?

 

Restart...starting NOW..





 

Update

Oh friends..what an unexpected 3 week hiatus from the 'ol blog.
I didn't mean for it to happen that way, but I was having so many issues posting from blogger, and it was just a mess! I usually blog real quickly from work (oops!) but I've been super busy in that department as well. 
Now that Bradley is sleeping in his crib through the night (update on that soon) I should have some more time to blog in the evenings.

Oh, do you follow me on instagram??  alliemarshall627 I post a lot of foodie pics, and my sweet Bradley bear.

Anyway! Here's what's been up: After my Whole30 challenge was finished, I find of fell back into old habits. Not in the sense that I started eating a ton of fast food and gained all my weight back. In fact, I weighed at 199.8 this morning. So I am technically still in ONEderland, but I haven't lost any since I completed the Whole30. I've had a Dr. Pepper here, chips and salsa there, etc. Basically, just living and become really relaxed with my diet.
I've learned that doesn't work for me!! Sure, maintenance is great, and it's awesome knowing I can eat the things I love in moderation...but I still have a good 40lbs to lose!

This is what I need to keep reminding myself.

Anyway, that's what's been going on with me in the weight loss category. There are so many other awesome things going on in my life though. Bradley is growing like a weed and so so much fun. Jordan is on board the crazy train, also known as the medical school application process. We are enjoying our summer and trying to spend as much quality time together before the fall semester starts and life gets even busier. :)

Bradley {seven months}

Bradley,
On the 4th of July, we not only celebrated our country's independence, we also celebrated you turning 7 months old! Wow!! I say it every month, but you never cease to amaze us with all the growth you're making in only one short month's time. Your seventh month has been so much fun to see your motor skills developing, and your personality shine through. You are so awesome, and so much fun to be around!!

 

We made an impromptu doctor's visit this month, thinking you may have had an ear infection. Turns out, you were just having teething pain. No teeth yet, though! Where are those silly teeth?! At the visit you weighed in at 20lbs 5oz. Big guy! Not exactly sure of your length, but you are just about grown out of your baby carrier. You are wearing 9-12month clothing, and are in size 3 diapers still.

Eating has gone very well! We are doing a mix of purees and baby led weaning. We are very surprised at your coordination in picking food up off your tray and making it to your mouth. You have loved just about every food you've tried so far. You've had: sweet potato, carrots, peas, butternut squash, avocado, applesauce, banana, watermelon, and some other random foods from mommy and daddy sparingly. You are still drinking roughly 35oz of expressed breast milk daily.

 

Bradley bear, you are crawling!!..and fast! You started off with an army crawl, and within a week you were mastering the full on crawl. You can crawl to your destination and then switch to sitting upward, and vice versa. Another milestone you hit between six and seven months was transitioning to sleeping through the night in your crib. At first, it was harder on mommy then it was you. But you showed her how grown up you're becoming. As soon as your drink your night time ba-ba we lay you in your crib, hand you a paci and as easy as that, you roll over and fall asleep. It was much easier than we expected! You lay down at about 9pm and sleep until mommy wakes you up at 6am to leave for daycare. On weekends, you sleep until about 7:30-8am. We are so proud of you!

This month we have gone swimming a few times. You don't mind the water, but you're only amused for so long. You prefer bath time to splish splash around over a large pool :) You also love being around your Mimi and Cappy and your cousins. You love to "talk" to everyone too. You loved spending time with your Aunt Sidney before she moved to Florida, and you enjoy clapping and waving to her on Skype! Everyone loves being around you; you are such a joy, Bradley!

 

Baby bear, we love you so much. I think that's all there is to it! We love the cuddles, the kisses and hugs on demand..just everything! We love that you keep us on our toes around the house and with all of your new developments. We love being your parents! Happy seven months, sweet boy.

 

Weigh In

Hi friends, this is going to be a quick update as I'm posting from my phone. I've been having multiple issues with posting on blogger. I don't know what the deal is, but everytime i go to compose it says there is an error on page and won't let me type anything! Frustrating. So if you have any clue as to what may be going in please let me know!
Anyway! I have been weighing in on Fridays despite my lack of posts these past 2weeks. Sometimes life gets too busy! I weighed in at 199.0 today which is really just maintaining from my last weigh in. The 4th of July weekend was rough, so get back into the 100s after eating like crap was my main goal!
Next week will be better. I have 2 runs scheduled and I'm sure I will be on my toes chasing around my crawling 7 month old! Have a great weekend :)

Weigh In {late}

Whew.
The weekend flew by. I did weigh in last Friday and had every intention on posting, but it was a busy long weekend for me. I took off work for a little "stay-cation" Thursday (for my anniversary) and Friday. I'm also working on an awesome giveaway coming soon (hopefully this week) because....
I'm in ONEderland!!
Seriously, I was so happy on Friday morning when I weighed..I have not seen that # since 2011! It was an awesome feeling to know that not only am I back at pre-pregnancy weight, I am now 5lbs under. I am feeling better than ever and still eating a 85% Paleo diet. Mark my words...I will never be in the 200's ever again.

For the month of June I ended up losing a total of -3.8lbs. I'm pleased with that. A new month equals new goals.
For July:

• Meal plan for every week & stick to it!
• Lose 4lbs (1lb a week..should be attainable)
• 80oz of water a day

What are your July goals?
Thanks again for all your continued support on my weight loss journey. The first goal of getting back to onederland has been met; now it's all downhill from here to the ultimate goal!

Marshalls Do Med School {MCAT update}

Read: Last update

To say that this process to being accepted into medical school is grueling is an understatement. A lot of hurry up...and wait. One step forward, two steps back...
Yesterday his official MCAT score was released. Let's just say it wasn't exactly the score he was hoping for. I don't think he wants me to disclose the actual number, but it was under his goal of a 30. He was pretty devastated, and being really hard on himself. Luckily, he pulled himself together sooner rather than later and reminded himself that his intelligence is not defined by one little test.

That being said, where do we go next?

There are a few different options we could take a look at:
1.) Retake the MCAT in August.

• There are a few pro's and cons with this option. First, retaking in August is getting pretty late in the game. Considering the application process started in June, now we would have to wait for his updated scores that wouldn't come out until September. Ugh. Another con is having to pay again for this test (omg $$$). The pros are that he has a great chance in improving his score, and the August test is here in town so he wouldn't have to travel like he did the first time around.

2.) NOT retake and just apply to his state school (KU) and some D.O. schools

• I think this is the option we're leaning towards. His score is still within range for DO programs. Note: We have NO problem going the DO route!! In fact, the more we read about it, the more we realize that DO is geared more towards our nontraditional lifestyle anyway.

3.) Apply this cycle & see what happens

• Applying to a bunch of MD schools with his current stats would be a waste of money..plain and simple. I think if he chooses a few DO schools that he fits into the qualifications it will be a good step into getting his name out there and seeing what he can do to improve his application if he isn't accepted for 2014. That way, he can retake the MCAT in the spring of 2014 and reapply for the 2015 class even stronger.

This process is such a learning experience..for the both of us. That's where we're at. Now that he has all his transcripts, letters of recommendations, personal statement, and now MCAT score he can start applying. I will update when we have a narrowed down list. Whew, I feel winded now!

A date day

So, Saturday we were supposed to attend a wedding. It was my coworker's wedding that I've been hearing her plan for the past year so I was excited for her on her special day. Unfortuneatly, we were running behind {go figure} and ended up arriving at the church 10 minutes late. I know wedding usually run a little late (I know mine did), but I didn't see anyone else walking in so we decided to skip the ceremony and attend the reception. There was a 3 hour gap between the ceremony and reception, so that meant that Jordan and I actually had some time to ourselves, just the two of us!

We literally have not really had quality time..me and him..in 6 months. It instantly made me feel younger and refreshed. With both of us working full time, summer school, med school applications, daily housework, and a 6 month old it is hard to remember the simplicity and joy of your marriage. I can't explain how NICE it was to just sit, have a martini and TALK to my HUSBAND!!

Sure, we talked about Bradley a lot..it totally reaffirmed how happy we are in this spot of our lives, and how blessed we feel to have such an awesome little boy. In the past 6 months we have been able to see eachother shape into parents. It was nice to talk about how everything we've hoped for these past 4 years of marriage are finally falling into place. The cherry on top would be a medical school acceptance letter this coming fall :)

We did end up going to the reception and enjoyed celebrating another couple's union. It reminded us of the past ups and downs of our marriage, and we had quite a few laughs reminising of our wedding day (dear god it was HOT!) and our wedding planning (bridezilla?!?!). Overall, I loved our Saturday date day, and I loved coming home to Bradley and us spending the evening all together. My face hurt from smiling all day :)

Weigh In

Man, I thought we were going to have a celebration today..with me hitting ONEderland and all. Unfortunately, this morning I weighed in at 200.0. That's a loss of exactly one pound from last week. Bummer. But hey, a loss is a loss. I reallllly want to see a # in the 100's! I haven't seen those #s since 2011. I want to get into the 100's and never see the 200's ever, ever, ever again!

We had a pretty rough week at the Marshall residence. Jordan is knee deep in work for his summer classes, on top of keeping up with his medical school applications (I swear it is like a full time job!). Both of us get some kind of stomach bug that lasted a good 48 hours. It was miserable. Bradley is..well, I don't really know what's up with the little dude, but he's waking up about every 3 hours. For instance, last night he woke up at 2:30am bright eyed and wanting to play. He wasn't hungry or anything; he was just looking around and babbling away..wanting to play. It makes for one tired mommy.

That's where I'm at right now. Just trucking along...Hopefully I will get some exercise in this week. Dare I say I'm missing running?! No, not exactly, but I'm missing moving my body and pushing myself.
Have a happy, healthy weekend :)

My Wedding: I was a fat bride

Hey all, in honor of wedding season and my 4 year anniversary coming up, I figured I'd link up and share the details of my wedding. In fact, I have a wedding to attend on Saturday!

Jordan and I got married on June 27, 2009. Our original wedding date was supposed to be December 12, 2009, but we ended up moving up the date due to a surprise pregnancy {which sadly ended in miscarriage}. My dream wedding growing up was to always have a Christmas wedding because I love the time of year and decorations. But instead, we chose the hottest day of summer. Whew!
We planned pretty quickly, and were on a strict budget! I'd say we spent $3k total on our wedding. Unfortunately Pinterest was not around, but theknot.com was. omg...I was addicted to the forums which may or may not have turned me into a bridezilla at moments!

Our colors were turquoise and gold. My bridesmaids were my 2 sisters and one of my sister in laws. My flower girls were my 2 nieces (one not pictured)

My dress was from David's Bridal, size 20. I didn't have it professionally altered because I didn't want to pay for it. Instead, I had my mom just take it in a little in the bust where it was loose. In hindsight, I feel like alterations may have made the dress look better on me, even as a plus sized bride.

We got married in my grandmother's church, which I know meant a lot to her. I made all the bouquets, boutineers and corsages out of fresh white roses. **Oh, quick story on my wedding flowers: I had put in a bulk flower order in store at Sam's Club 3 weeks prior to the wedding. I called to confirm the order 2 weeks later. Except...they could not find my order and my flowers were never ordered!! I was furious and bridezilla appeared. Luckily, Jordan was awesome and went all over town trying to place an order in bulk. Fortunately, we found a local shop that could help us!

We ended up doing a cupcake tower to cut on costs. It really worked out for the best. We didn't have an actual meal at our reception..since it was at 2pm. We had cake, punch, fruit, and some other desserts and whatnot. It worked out. Very casual.

First dance was "You and Me" Lifehouse

I learned a lot during the wedding planning process. I learned who true friends are, who will be by your side during one of the happiest days of your life. I learned that it's not about how much money you spend on your big day. Your wedding is not your marriage. Although I have a lot of thing I would have wanted to change about our wedding day, I would not change who I chose to spend the rest of my life with!