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!



Fido 5k {recap}

Ok, I'm finally getting around to posting the recap of the 5k that my dad and I ran on June 8, 2013. Man, it was a hot run with a hilly terrain!
My parents picked Bradley and I up in the morning and we headed to the park where the race was taking place. Here's where I made my 1st mistake: I didn't eat anything for breakfast.
I was in kind of a "mood" too- I wasn't quite as pumped for this race as I was the Prairie Fire 5k. I can't pinpoint exactly what was wrong with me though. ANYWAY-
We got there and checked in and got our bibs. This run benefitted the dog parks in our town, and runners were allowed to run with their dogs. Bradley was just starring at all of the puppies; so sweet :)
We got lined up to start the run; there were quite fewer people compared to our previous races too, but that's okay. At this point Jordan showed up when he got off work to see us take off. I was surprised; I didn't think he would get there in time.

We took off strong and even finished our 1st mile in 11 minutes. That's when we realized we needed to start pacing ourselves better, because I was already exhausted after the 1st mile: mistake #2. We didn't stop, just slowed down a bit.
Then mistake #3 happened: my mp3 player quit working..I had forgotten to charge it the night before. fml. I quickly told my dad what had happened and he was able to basically "coach" me the last mile..by saying things like "You got it!" "keep going" It is reallllly defeating to be running and all you can hear is yourself huffing and puffing trying to breathe normally, and then your body is hot and your brain is telling you to walk just a little. I almost started to walk, but my dad wouldn't let me. I'm glad for that.

We ended up finishing the 5k at 42:31, average a 13:41 mile. That is an improvement from our 1st 5k time of 43:39. I'm happy with beating our time and know we I can only get better with more practice. 
Sad thing is? I haven't run since June 8th. And we haven't signed up for another race yet. We just haven't found one that will fit our schedules. I'm not quitting my training. I just need to get back into a groove.

Whole30 results

Oh man..I made the collages of my before & after photos. It gave me some anxiety! Like..am I really about to share these horrendous pictures? Yes, yes I am.

This is where I've been and where I'm going....

So, on the Whole30 my starting weight was 211.8. I completed the Whole30 challenge weighing in at 201.0. Total loss of 10.8lbs. I feel pretty good about that. I didn't take any measurements, and I regret that. I know it probably could have lost more if I had worked out more. I did run twice a week and ran in 2 5ks during the 30 days. I stuck to a meal plan about 85% of the time while on the challenge, and made the best choices I could when I found myself in situations that weren't as Paleo friendly.

 

As I've said before, I highly, highly suggest the Whole30 challenge to anyone who wants to clean up their diet. I literally do not crave pop anymore, or sweets. I want fresh fruit in the mornings instead of doughnuts. I'm never super hungry or have extreme cravings. I am human though. I feel like I stuck to the challenge 85%, but that's reality. any questions? (I'm no expert, believe me!) email me at: amarshall627@gmail.com

 

ok..deep breath..pictures:



 

Alright, so that's where I'm at currently. I am doing another 30 days and hope to have even better results. I will do more before&after photos after my next 10lbs lost. Oh, and please excuse my pale, pale skin, no makeup and cray hair :)

omg..I can't believe I'm hitting 'post' !

Weigh In {good, bad & ugly}

So I was kind of nervous to weigh in today, because yesterday I felt like I had been "snacking" a lot..then I realized what I was snacking on..cherries, almonds, an apple. It's amazing how my eating habits have changed in the past 30 days by doing the Whole30 challenge. I so recommend this program if you want a jumpstart into eating cleaner, leaner foods or just want to clean up your existing healthy diet. Today I weighed in at 201.0. That's a loss of -1.8lbs from last week. I was shocked to see this number as I haven't seen it in literally 2 years! SO, so close to ONEderland..I WILL be there by next week. I try not to let the scale dictate my mood, but I can't help it..I have a little extra pep in my step!

Baby Braddle at his 6 month check-up!

I ran a 5k this past weekend with my dad (I still need to do a recap) and I went to one water aerobics class this week. I stuck to my meal plan (follow me on instagram: alliemarshall627) and it's paying off! On Monday I'm going to be doing a full Whole30 recap with pictures..omg the pictures...
I feel like I can dress myself pretty well to hide any "trouble" areas: mid section, upper arms and hips/thighs, but the "before" pictures are pretty raw...shorts and a tank top. Sometimes I wonder why I'm putting myself out there like that?! But it's for my own personal accountability. It shows where I've been, where I'm at, and where I'm going.

Now that the Whole30 is basically over (I'm on day 27) I need to figure out where to go from here in terms of my diet. I'm still working on it, and will post my new approach once I get it all figured out, but I'm leaning towards a Paleo lifestyle.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Upcoming posts:

Fido 5k recap

Whole30 recap (before & after photos)

Favorite meals and go to snacks on the Whole30

Go grocery shopping with me

Marshalls do Med School {application update}

Paleo meatloaf {recipe}

My favorite way of finding ideas of meals to add to my Whole30 meal plan is from Pinterest (follow me: amarshall627) I created a board of foods specifically for this Whole30 challenge. I ran across this recipe for Paleo meatloaf and thought..easy enough!
It was really easy to make..I used ground turkey instead of beef and omitted the mushrooms. I was pretty worried about how it would all hold together, but it actually stayed together pretty well. I was kind of worried about the way it looked..it wasn't the most appetizing dish I've ever prepared. But it was really good and filling. I was surprised.

NOT my picture: source

2 lbs. Ground turkey

4 Eggs
1 1/2 C Shredded Zucchini
1 1/2 C Shredded Carrot
1 Small Onion - minced
1-2 Cloves Fresh Garlic - minced
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

In a small pan, saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms and spices over medium heat until tender. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, zucchini, carrots, sauteed vegetables. Mix with clean hands until well combined. Place mixture in a meatloaf pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest about 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy :) see you tomorrow for weigh in.

Bradley {six months}

Bradley,
Oh my sweet boy, you are now 6 months old! It has been another great new month with you. You are changing practically daily; you are learning new things and are curious about everything! It is so much fun to see your personality evolving in your likes/dislikes, etc. You are happy, healthy & thriving! We love you so much!

This month we changed you into size 3 diapers, but you are still in size 9 month clothes..some 12 month. At your 6 month appointment, you weighed in at 18lbs 14oz and were 27 1/4inches in length. You are still drinking 32oz of breast (pumped) milk daily and we've also incorporated some solids! We've give you oatmeal, rice cereal and sweet potatoes (puree) so far. You didn't seem to mind any of them, but getting the motions down of the spoon took a little bit of effort. We will continue introducing some new foods, but there's really no rush. We'll also be doing a bit of baby led weaning as you get a little older. You don't have any teeth yet, but I'm sure it will be very soon!

You are sitting up unassisted now, but you prefer to lay on your tummy to play. You like to play with anything that plays music/rattles/beeps and toys you can grasp. You always roll over from your back to your tummy as soon as you're laid down, even to fall asleep. Your sleep has changed a little bit this past month. Before, we could lay you down to fall asleep (co-sleeping), walk away to do whatever, then come back to sleep. Now, you only like to go to sleep when I (mommy) lay down for the night too. We usually lay down between 9-9:30pm with a 8oz bottle and then you wake up at 2am to take a 4 oz bottle and fall right back to sleep until we leave in the morning for daycare at 6am.

You are still a babbling machine, "talking" pretty much non-stop. We love your little voice! You like to hear yourself, and have definitely learned your volume! You can scream loudly!! You laugh a lot too, especially at daddy. He is constantly trying to make you giggle. We love it.

This month we traveled to Oklahoma City to visit your Nana and aunt Caitlin, and to meet your aunt Mallory and cousin Kamryn for the first time. You did excellent on the car ride there (2hrs) and sleeping in the hotel! We took you swimming in the hotel for the first time. You were pretty unsure of the water at first, but started kicking away after a few minutes, but you did not like your floatie toy! You wanted to be in mommy or daddy's arms only. We also went to the zoo for the 1st time (OKC zoo) and you seemed to enjoy being in your stroller and looking around.

With your cousin Kamryn

Bradley, every day is a joy. Every day I learn something new, and every day my heart is filled with a little bit more of love for you. I don't think it will ever stop expanding!! Sometimes I bet people regret asking me about how you're doing because I can just ramble on and on about how awesome you are! What can I say, I'm a proud mom! Thank you for making me your Mom, Brad! xoxo

Weigh In {good, bad & ugly}

Confession: I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped. I weighed in this morning at 202.8. That's a loss of -.2 from last week. Ok, so a loss is a loss right? It's good to see a new starting number that I haven't seen in awhile. HOWEVER, I know if I would have stuck to the Whole30 a little more diligently then today's weigh in would be much better.

40 weeks pregnant vs. 27 weeks postpartum

I had some weak moments this week on the Whole30 if I'm being completely honest. Too many weak moments that ruined my clean eating and have caused a delay in the downward trend I was heading with my weight. Last Sunday we ended up ordering pizza instead of sticking to our meal plan. Then Monday night Jordan headed out to rent a movie. He brought back milk duds and a dr. pepper. Why? Well that's what I used to always snack on when we watched a movie. and I just didn't have the willpower to say no. He wasn't trying to sabotage me..it's just old habits are hard to break.

 Through the week at work I tend to do pretty well. I stay on track 95%, but it's just little cheats here and there. Then I battle with myself...well, I'm human and if I want something I should just have it, right? See? Old habits are hard to break.

Anyway, I will be done with the Whole30 next Friday. I plan on doing another 14 days, to finish out the month then go from there. I also have a 5k this Saturday! Wish me luck!!....I feel like I need all the luck I can get.

Marshalls Do Med School {update}

Read: Last week MCAT

So, if you read the intro to our med school journey you'll learn that I was completely oblivious to what it takes to be accepted and how competitive it is. I thought "Ok, he'll graduate undergrad, get good grades, volunteer some, shadow some, apply and go to medical school!"
wrong.
Well, not completely wrong, but it entails so much more. I really didn't know it was SO competitive. I didn't know the difference between MD/DO or the application timeline..or really anything. Smh..naive.
Being that I'm pretty much a control freak, and Jordan is much more laid back (sometimes this causes us to clash), I took it upon myself to research more to make sure everything is in order to make for a smooth application process. The more I researched, the more I started to freak. Uhh..3.9 GPA?! Volunteering in Haiti with orphans?! 1000+ hours of shadowing?! Published research?!
Yea...about that...Jordan is a non-traditional student. He has worked in a clinical setting for 5 years 40+ hrs a week, has medical certifications, has done minimal volunteering, some shadowing. Good letters of recommendation, but no research, and his GPA is right around 3.2 (rough start to college right out of high school in 2004). From what I've read, that isn't the most competitive..and it made me start worrying. Not worried that I don't think my husband is smart, compassionate or skilled enough to be an excellent physician, but worried that his application wouldn't even get him a foot in the door to be reviewed, which he so deserves.

At this point I've decided to kind of step back and just let the application process take it's course. There's no use stressing over things I cannot control. I also don't want to put any extra pressure on Jordan as I know this is already a grueling process for him. I'm just here to be a supportive wife, because I believe in him. I believe he will be accepted into a medical school..whether it's an MD program, or DO. Even if it's not this application cycle, he can reapply for the next. And we will just keep reaching for the ultimate goal, as cliche as that sounds!

I don't know where he's applying at this point. I know for sure the University of Kansas (KU-MD) and Kansas City University (KCUMB- DO), but other than that I'm leaving it up to him.
We will follow him wherever..all it takes is one acceptance!

The fight.

I'm talking about the mental fight that living a healthy lifestyle takes.
Disclaimer: This is going to be a more or less ranting/whining post.
This weekend, my dad and I ran a total of six miles in preparation for the 5k we're scheduled to run this coming Saturday. Why is it so damn hard for me to just run? Just take off and feel my feet on the pavement and feel good about what I'm doing?
No.
I start thinking and my thoughts cloud my mind. It's too hot. I'm too tired. Why am I even trying? I'm too slow. I'm too fat. I'm too wide and taking up the whole sidewalk. My dad must hate running with me.
I am literally mean to myself while I'm running. It is not good. Usually I can try to block those thoughts out of my head and focus on the goal, but lately my mind's been foggy.
I just hope I can keep it together for this weekend's race. sigh.

Dad and I after 3 miles on Saturday

In other news, My baby boy is 6 months old today! Goodness, I can't believe it. He is at such a FUN age..he laughs uncontrollably, babbles a ton and is so very curious. My other internal fight is how much I'm away from him at work. At this point I don't really feel that there's any way around that fact. I literally have a sinking feeling Tuesday-Friday when I drop him off at daycare at the crack of dawn. He shouldn't be spending more time away from Mom and Dad than with. It's just not fair and I need to figure out some way around it. I love him so much. I'll post his 6 month recap after his 6mos checkup!

 My sweet Bradley bear <3