Pantry Organization

If you don't know by now, I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my house being clean.  The good thing is that I'm married to a clean freak as well.  Most people that come to our house think that its immaculate, but Hubby and I constantly feel anxious because we feel like our house is in disarray.  A few months ago, my pantry was giving me high anxiety.  I cringed every time I opened it.  I felt like I couldn't find anything, and never knew what I already had.  So after being fed up with it, and getting inspiration from my sisterger's blog on her pantry renovation. I decided to do something about my own.

So one Friday after work, I hit up Ross to start my own pantry renovation project.  Here are the items that I picked up.

The baskets were from Ross and between $10 and $15.  The tall container was from Ross and around $10-$15.  The cereal containers were from Ross and less than $10.  I got the box of sealed jars from Ross for $10.

This is definitely not my proudest moment.  You guys get to see my dirty...pantry!  I guess you can see why this was causing me so much anxiety.  I started to take everything out and go through what we needed and didn't need.  I threw away foods that have been in the pantry forever.  I mean if we haven't used it in the past three months or more, we definitely don't need to be eating it now!  Clean eating tip!

After clearing everything out, I felt overwhelmed thinking...geez now what do I do with all of this stuff!  I just took it item by item, shelf by shelf.  Hours later I was able to come up with what is below.

My husband was shocked when I sent him the "after" picture.  I even looked in my pantry thinking, "where did my food go?"  I felt that I needed to go buy more items to fill it up, but I really did have all that we needed.

The organizer on the door is just an old shoe organizer.  We have had it for years.  It works great for the kids snacks and other odds and ends items.

These baskets work great to hold single items that are not boxed.  Overall, I was very pleased with the pantry and happy that I only needed a few inexpensive items to get the job done.  I ended up getting a few more of the cereal containers to put on the top shelf.  Organizing the pantry gave me peace of mind and lowered my blood pressure! Yes it sure did!  I was able to easily find things to cook and make grocery lists for what I needed.  I have even been able to maintain this quite well.  Why spend a lot of money on organizing your pantry when you can just work with what you got! Now if only I can get my refrigerator to look this nice! I think I will be better off just purchasing another fridge!

Deployment Months 6 and 7

I am super late posting these, but here are my videos on months six and seven of deployment!

Sick Dog, Sick Kids & Murphy's Law-Month 6

Homestretch and Stripper Name-Month 7

Breast Augmentation 4 Weeks Post-Op Appt

Happy 1 month birthday to my girls!  Yes it's been a month! Not much has happened in the past week, but it sure feels good to be one month post op!  Yesterday I went to my 1 month post op appointment and it was very quick.  My PS looked at my incision and was prepared to take out any lingering stitches.  One of my boobs had healed perfectly and there were no stitches to take out.  He only had to take 2 out of the other boob.  He answered my questions about exercise, bras, swimming, and incision care.  He said everything looked good and he will see me in 2 months!

My incisions are healing good.  They are completely closed and I have been using vitamin E oil on them day and night.  I finally stopped covering them with the tape and gauze.  My PS said they are fine to be uncovered as long as I am comfortable.  The vitamin E oil seem to be already smoothing the incision out and I have only been using it a week.  I also use cocoa butter on my boobs and on the rash that I got from the neosporin.  I have not seen any stretch marks, and the rash is clearing up.

The doctor cleared me for exercise.  He said I can start out slow with my comfort level.  I am so used to doing hard core workouts that it's very difficult for me to just walk.  I went to the gym for the first time today to workout and felt really good.  I was able to do the eliptical, bike, and walk a few laps with no problems.  I feel like it will take me forever to get back on my P90x3 status!  I am going to try my Focus T25 workout dvd and just do the modified moves that are for beginners.  I can't wait until I am able to lift weights again.  My goal is to in a few months start cross fit training.  I'm so ready to be back in beast mode!

Me after my workout

After my appointment yesterday I went to Sports Authority to get some good sports bras.  All I pretty much own right now are sports bras, but none that can withstand my type of workouts.  Hubby helped me to find medium and maximum hold sports bras to keep these girls confined!  He was great in the dressing room helping me to decide which sizes would be best for my workouts.  He even had me to slightly run in place to see if they were holding these girls down.  I ended up getting two bras on sale that could have been the price of one of these type of bras.  Both bras came out to be around $53 total.  I got a size medium in one, and a 34C in the other.  They actually didn't have a 34D to try on, but the 34C ended up giving me great hold and support.  It's funny because pre-op I really didn't have to wear a bra to workout if I didn't want to.  For a matter of fact, I would wear the most padded bra I owned to wear to the gym to not look like a little boy in the sports bra. My PS also said that I can wear any type of bra I want to wear now.  He also said that if I wanted to go bra-less I could as well.  Tonight I am trying that out as I go to bed.

The girls are actually feeling more apart of me now.  They aren't sore as much anymore and I don't feel them moving around so much.  I only feel them when I lean down, or when I am lying down and have to sit up.  They have dropped a lot and don't look like torpedoes.  They are very perky and cute now!  I often can't believe they are all mine! All in all, I feel more normal with movements.  I can stretch and move around more comfortably.  I'm finally not afraid that I am going to break the incision.  I can also lift small things without feeling that it's super heavy.  I also don't feel as tired and winded all the time any more.

I asked about swimming due to Hubby and I going on vacation in a few weeks, and the PS said that I can swim in about 3 weeks.  Right on schedule with Vegas!  I didn't buy all those cute bikinis to just sit in my suitcase. He did suggest that I get in the pool or hot tub and see how my incisions react, and make sure that I clean my body as soon as I get out.

Bikini shopping brings me to how clothes fit.  I mentioned before that I feel that clothes fit me better now.  I like everything on me which is not cool when I want to buy everything I try on.  Surprisingly, I had a moment last week when for a day or two I felt my boobs were not big enough.  I had tried on my old pink bikini which is a medium and was disappointed I wasn't popping out of it.  It fit nicely.  When I went shopping this past weekend, I tried on more bikinis and definitely had to get a Large in them.  I also got a bandeau top in a large.  All my other clothes are still my regular size in shirts which was a small.  Now they just fit better.  Today I put on a dress that I would always wear bulky scarves with, because I could not fill out the top part of it.  It was always very baggy, but not today.  It fit perfectly and I filled it all the way out!

Lastly, this brings me to sleeping.  I have been sleeping on my back just fine.  A few days ago I tried sleeping on my side, since that is my usual sleep side of choice.  I am able to do it for a few hours at a time.  I am also able to sleep without all the pillows surrounding me.

Overall, things are feeling and looking good!

Breast Augmentation 3 Weeks Post-Op

I will be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday.  A lot has happened and not happened since my last post.  The biggest happening is that my Hubby came home last Tuesday.  Last Tuesday was my 2nd original scheduled date for my surgery.  I am so glad that I changed the date because as I predicted, Hubby came home the day of my surgery date...if I had kept it.  See that's the thinking of a seasoned Army wife.  I know how the Army time works!  One of the biggest question is well how does Hubby like them?  Well, they are still quite high up and a bit funny looking (to me), but he thinks they are perfect for my body shape and look great on me.  Everyone that has known me forever agree that they look natural on my body like I have always had them!

I stopped taking the pain meds and ambien about a week to a week and half post op.  After stopping the Ambien I did have a little trouble staying asleep due to me still sleeping sitting up.  I have not had any pain that warrant needing a pain killer.  The girls don't really feel heavy anymore, and I don't necessarily always feel the implant.  I can feel them swelling at times and like I have said before, it feels like engorgement when breastfeeding.  I can feel the implant moving only when I'm sleeping at night and try to get up from lying down.

That brings me to sleeping.  I have continued to sleep sitting up surrounded by pillows until a few days ago.  Now I am able to sleep flat on my back but with a very fat pillow to elevate my head.  I like to sleep with a pillow on my side to tilt my body to the side slightly.  I have always been a side sleeper so I'm trying to ease my way into side sleeping again.  Sleeping on my back is the most comfortable for me right now, but it does hurt my butt and back.  I think I am just getting used to it.  

Next up is bras!  I have found that I prefer to sleep in my zip up (large) sports bra.  I love them so much that I had my mom buy me two more and send them to me!  During the day I wear sports bras with the thinner straps mostly.  Recently I found two more unpadded, no wire bras that my doctor told me that I can wear at this point.  I got them from Wal-mart for around $12-14.  They are comfortable to wear during the day.  I also got those in a large.  

My incision is closed up and healing, but I made a mistake in continuing to use the neosporin for too long.  After using it for too long, I actually developed a rash around the incision.  I thought I needed the neosporin because I was very itchy.  I didn't realize that it was the neosporin that was making me itchy.  I soon figured this out remembering what my PS had told me in the beginning about using the neosporin, and quickly stopped using it.  The area is already clearing up.  

There are some days that I am itching to exercise, but others where I am thankful for the break.  Today was the first day that I went on a short walk with my family.  I pretended to run to see if my girls would bounce and sure enough I think they will.  I am going to have to wear extra good sports bras when exercising now.  Before it really didn't matter what kind of bra I had on, my girls weren't big enough to move around.  

All in all, the girls and I are adjusting to each other!  I am still very cautious and careful with them.  I still make sure to not do any quick movements.  I am still not doing too much lifting or stretching either.  Hubby and I always make the joke that we invested a lot of money in these girls, so we have to protect our investment!  

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Bra Fitting

12 Days Post-Op

I guess time is flying!  Not fast enough.  Okay, so let me update you on my progress!  I went back to work this week and I was fine at work all day except for being really sleepy all the time.  There were many times when I caught myself falling asleep at my desk.  I finally realized that I can't go, go, go, and do, do, do like I am used to.  I have to do a little bit and then lay down and rest for awhile.  I am trying to take it as easy as possible.  Besides being sleepy all the time, I am happy that the nausea has gone away.  I have finished with the antibiotics.  I am down to only taking 1 percoset and the ambien at night.  I am not on any pain meds during the day.  I do continue to take my vitamin C chewable.  Today I picked up some fiber gummies due to the dreaded constipation.  I am hoping those work because feeling like you look bloated with nice boobs is no fun!

I called my PS office back and asked when can I wear a regular bra, and do I have to continue to put neosporin on my incisions and cover them.  The answer to both were starting Friday I could wear a regular bra as long as it does not have under wire and do not have padding.  I honestly think I will stick to sports bras for awhile for comfort and support.  Also it is very difficult to find my bra size in just any store.  Friday I could stop with the neosporin and covering the incision, but I think I may continue with covering them.  It feels more comfortable, so I will call about that next week.  I was also told that I have been entered for the mentor warranty in case something happens with my implants.  Knocking on wood they are perfect!

Some annoying symptoms I have been experiencing are super sensitive nipples and itchy incisions.  I have read that a lot of women lost nipple sensation for a period of time.  My nipples are so sensitive that they hurt. It again reminds me of when you are pregnant and your boobs are sore.  I read this is a good sign of the nerve cells reconnecting.  I might get some breast cream and pads like I used when I was breastfeeding.  I am hoping it goes away soon.  My incisions itch periodically.  It seems to happen more so at night when I take off my bandages and undo my bra to let the incision and girls breathe for like 30 minutes.  The incision starts to itch like crazy and it takes everything in me not to scratch near them.  I have found that the ice packs do help with this.

Wednesday I became obsessed with buying a bikini for an upcoming trip with Hubby.  Victoria's Secret was having a sale online on their swimsuits.  I needed to know what size I was, considering I have never ordered a swimsuit from them before.  My co-worker and I tried to measure me but we came out with a 34DD.  I ended up going in the store to get measured and the lady thought maybe a 34C.  She gave me a few 34C bras to try on, and they all were really tight and uncomfortable!  My girls were even hanging out.  I told her this can't be right.  She gave me a Body By Victoria Demi cup 34D to try on and it fit perfectly!  She said pretty much that will be my size in most bras in VS.  I know that I am still swelling and have a ways to drop, but I still need comfortable bras.

All in all I am doing very good!  My incision looks like it is healing well and I am able to have better movement with my arms.  I am getting around good and driving.  I am just very careful and slow!  I don't want to risk pulling anything or messing anything up.

Tata for now lol! (I'm icing as I type)