Small Victories!

Well, it's been a week of big achievements in the Stikes household!

My middle daughter, Taylor, has mastered the potty at 2 years 8 months (it could have been done earlier, but hey, I've been busy already). She sleeps dry through the night and at naptime, too. Unfortunately, she now associates the bathroom with Starburst and Skittles candies, but maybe I can break her of that by the time she's five or so. Ha Ha!

Also, I've done very well with my new diet. I've lost an amazing 7 pounds in my first week. Yeah, I know that it's mostly water weight since I never used to drink enough, but I'm counting it anyway! I've sworn off anything fun: no white foods (breads, rice, pasta, potatoes) and just about anything that's processed. I'm only shopping on the outer edges of the supermarket now (fruits, vegetables, lean cut meats, and lowfat cheeses) to my kids dismay. I'm also staying away from alcohol since it's just wasted calories. And then I'm drinking enough water that would drown the average person! Truth be told, I'm not missing the sugars yet. Seeing the difference on the scale and in my clothes feels a lot better than anything could ever taste. So the score is 7 pounds lost this week (my first week), and I'm 6 pounds ahead of my goal so far!

On a more serious note, I've managed to survive one of the toughest weeks of my life. It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that my husband and I have had our share of problems these last few years. Well, things really came to a head last week, and I'm honestly still not sure how things are going to turn out. It seems that there are a lot of issues that I was unaware of, and I've realized that things aren't what I thought they were. I feel incredibly alone right now, but am surprisingly calm (or in total denial) about the entire situation. It's times like these that I am brought to admit just how much I miss my parents (no one can make the hurt better like your mom!). Anyway, I'm proud for coming through this as well as I have and know that whatever happens, I'll be okay.

That's about it for now. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers, we certainly could use it. :o)