Catching Up

So it's been a while since I've updated the blog.  It's probably best I bullet point the highlights:

Celebrating our fourth anniversary on Thanksgiving day
with our kiddos and a little cake - the same as at our wedding.

• Thanksgiving was a blast.  We spent it at my in-laws in the 'burbs.  We also celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving.  
• I've lost 50 pounds since I gave birth to Cece.  I'm 10 pounds aways from losing all the baby weight I gained and 15 pounds from my goal weight.
• I am taking a proactive approach to managing my osteoarthritis and have been getting shots in my knees for a few weeks.  It's three weeks worth of shots that help act as a lubricant under my knee caps and let me move better so that I can hopefully return to semi-normal activity.  Once I get to that point I will return to physical therapy and hopefully start working out again.  As this is going to be a lifelong struggle, I've decided to alter my diet to help day-to-day life be easier for my knees.  See next bullet point...
• I've decided after much research to give up wheat/gluten and dairy products to the best of my ability. I have read that these ingredients in foods often cause inflammation in people that historically have inflammatory issues.  This is me.  Hands down.  I have given up these ingredients before and have noticed benefits.  After the past few weeks I have definitely noticed whole body improvements.  My goal is by not eating these items I can "re-boot" my body and get any inflammation out of my system (to the best of my ability) so that my knees feel good every day.  I'd much rather change my eating habits than get another set of shots (steroids to reduce inflammation) and take pills (to also help reduce inflammation).  Wish me luck, people.
• Sofia and Cece are just the most amazing little kiddos.  Sofia is growing and learning and amazing me every single day.  Cece, bless her heart, smiles more than any baby I've ever known.  She has started laughing these days, too.  It melts my heart.
• Oliver has been really handy around the house these days.  I'm thoroughly impressed by his skills. He has tiled the fireplace (still working on the hearth stone) and put in a new, funky ceiling fan that we got as an anniversary present.
• Yesterday we cut down a Christmas tree and decorated the house for the holidays.  Sofia had fun, I had fun, Cece seemed to enjoy it when she was awake and Oliver was upset the Bears lost :)

Well, hopefully I'll get back to this place before next year.  Until next time, thanks for stopping by!!!