My cervical cerclage went really well. I actually was really lucky. I was in the general OR and everyone started showing up for processing at 5:30 AM... there were so many people, many different procedures. Well, right at 7:25 as the ORs became available they were all put on hold. There was a problem with the AC and the rooms had gotten to over 100º and the humidity caused too many problems. So, once they had fixed the AC then they had to deep clean all the rooms. 

At about ten AM I got news that they could move me upstairs to labor and delivery to use their OR for my cerclage. The team from the other OR accompanied my doctor and I was given my spinal. Man that was some fast working medicine. My doctor was amazing. He held my hand, rubbed my shoulder and was so encouraging. After Peace Corps, shots seem like nothing anymore and I think the spinal was actually easier than my previous epidurals. The anesthesiologist was great... not too quick, talked me through each step and did everything painlessly -- despite the little sting of the numbing medication but no one can avoid that.

It was funny when I got back down to the regular recovery room. It was a ghost town and everyone cheered as they wheeled me down because they were so bored with no patients. I started laying down and was trying so hard to move my legs but to no avail. It was funny... I could almost feel my brain working overdrive sending messages but my legs not being able to do anything. I've never been that in tune with my brain I guess.

My numbness wore off a lot faster than they expected because, man, was I determined to get home! I was so hungry from not having eaten and the surgery being delayed. By the time I left (approx. 8 hours after arriving) they had only opened 5 of their 30 ORs. So, I feel blessed that I was the first one to get to go. A cerclage is not necessarily something you can wait on. But thankfully I wasn't at all dilated and I even got to hear baby's heartbeat again...

Week 13/14

My last post I was about ten weeks pregnant. I was so tired but I was also eating horribly. I had let all my hard work go to the wayside and I indulged. The next weekend I went to Weight Watchers with my mom. I went as a support system for her but it did me good to sit with all the people and hear about all the struggles I've dealt with and to hear their encouragement. That next week I got my eating back on track and have been maintaining my weight around 200.

So, now I want to keep everyone updated on how I'm doing each week during my pregnancy, although I can't wait to be back on the fast track to my goal weight in 2015. My due date is 12/13/14 which would be AWESOME if baby was born that day but, alas, I will most likely be having a c-section as I did with Henna so it will be scheduled at least a week before that date.

Due date:  12/13/14

How far along: 13 weeks 6 days

How big is baby? Lemon

Gender:  Don't know yet -- Henna started talking about her sister before I told her we were having a baby? So, very interested to see...

Maternity clothes:  None -- wearing my size 16 stretch jeans from torrid and sundresses!

Sleep: I've taken to sleeping on my side easily this pregnancy and get really great sleep but I wake up like clockwork to pee at 4:30 every day

Food cravings:  Chipotle and white rice with soy sauce

Symptoms:  sore boobs, weepiness, severe pregnancy brain (and possible still residual pregnancy brain from my other 2 pregnancies, haha)

Movement:  I've been feeling movement since last week -- feels like bubbles but can't feel anything externally

What I miss:  dirty martinis

What I'm loving: having my energy back

Monday I am going in to have a cerclage. I lost my son at 20 weeks due to incompetent cervix but in my medical history, there was no real reason for me to have experienced this. So, we decided as a preventative measure this would be the best course of action.

Monday I will go into the OR and have an epidural. Then they will put a stitch in my cervix and close it until about week 37. Then the stitch will be removed and nature will take it's course from there. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. There's going to be even more lifestyle changes in things I can and can't do after the cerclage is in place. My doctor is rather conservative and I'm okay with that... obviously, or he wouldn't be my doctor.

Monday and Tuesday I will be down for the count. Moctar has taken Monday off to take me to and from the hospital and Henna will be staying with my parents Sunday night through at least Wednesday morning. I'm hoping that my recovery will be relatively easy and no side effects. So, please say a prayer or keep me in your thoughts.

I look forward to coming back each week and going over how my pregnancy is progressing.

Struggling For Balance

I knew this pregnancy would be different, but I didn't know just HOW different. I assumed that I would be able to keep up hip hop up until the day that my cerclage would be placed. Under normal circumstances that would have been the case but I've spotted more during this pregnancy than my others. The minute I would be slightly active I would start to spot. For a parent who has lost a child due to incompetent cervix, spotting can be terrifying. I knew that it was normal but that small part of my brain just wouldn't switch off. So, I stopped going to hip hop.

I miss it more than anything. I feel more tired and lethargic. I'm also having a hard time readjusting my food intake. I was burning a lot of calories daily with hip hop but now I'm used to eating more but I'm not burning nearly as many calories. It's hard on my self-esteem. I'm giving in way too easily to my cravings and have no problem talking myself into eating what I want. I don't want to undo all my hard work yet. I want to gain what's necessary to keep my baby and my body healthy.

I've been reading the Beck Diet Solution which has given me some interesting insights and I need to read more. My fatigue is out of this world right now which is why I haven't gotten more into the book yet. I'm doing my best to at least log my food so I know where I'm at each day.

My mom helped me out and roasted me a bunch of peppers, onions, broccoli and zucchini. Having the food prepped and ready guarantees that it will get used where as right now, I'd sooner pass out on the couch then take the time to cut, prep, and roast my veggies. I'm still active on the Jenny Craig forums but not as active as before. I feel like a sham... having been so successful but struggling so much right now. I don't have much advice to offer so I mostly just read.

Excuse My Absence

Wow! It's been way, way too long since I've posted. But, I have been struggling with news that I want to share but that I don't really want to share via Facebook due to concerns from my family. I found out in early April that I am pregnant. I prayed to get the BEST birthday present and sure enough, just before the Color Me Rad 5K is when I found out. I opted to not do the 5k just because I didn't have time to converse with my doctor.

I lost my son at 20 weeks due to an incompetent cervix... there were no signs, no warnings that this would happen and that was the hardest part to deal with. I didn't have any pain or any abnormal bleeding. But I knew one morning that I was having too much discharge and the rest is history. When discussing future plans with my OBGYN we decided that when the time came, I would have a preventative cerclage where they would sew my cervix shut around 12-13 weeks.

I found out VERY early that I was pregnant (between 2-3 weeks along). I continued my hip hop regimen as normal and watched my eating although not technically allowed to continue Jenny Craig. I started to spot a little and had my first appointment at the beginning of May. I was cleared to continue exercising but each time I would be moderately active the spotting would happen. The doc reassured me that this is very normal for the first trimester but it'd been too much for me to worry about so I have stopped working out.

It was an inevitable decision because once the cerclage is place I will be under full "pelvic rest" ... google it if you want to know everything I CAN'T do... the lost is shorter of the things I can still do.... but it will all be worth it.

Health Heroes!

What does it take to go from a couch potato to a fitness nut? Well, I guess that depends on quite a few factors. For me, I started handling my nutrition and as the weight fell off my energy levels shot up. I started slow, purchasing a Wii for myself and using Just Dance. Then some ladies who follow Jenny Craig along with me encouraged me to try the C25k running program. That was an awesome experience and I was starting to feel the inner fitness nut really crack open... I know, corny.

Then, a tragedy came along. I lost a baby... a part of me I had so longed for and sadly had to say goodbye to much too soon. The motivation I had felt before wasn't quite there anymore. Then I was invited to a hip hop fitness class. Little did I know that it would be in that community where I would find my health heroes.

To Jacque, my first (and dearest) hip hop instructor, I thank you for opening up your class and doing all you can to make all the new people feel like they are somewhat keeping up. A simple left, right, double goes a long way at that first class. You have so much energy and your smile lights up the class.

To BreAnna, thank you for inviting me! Without that invitation I would never have found that class on my own. It took your urging me to push me out of my funk. I was so shy at that first class but little by little I started to open up and join in.

To Jill! You are awesome and you push me to push myself. I feel like we have this friendly competition and we push each other to try more and more. From 6 AM classes, to 2-hour sessions and back to back classes you keep me going. Through the aches and pains and people trying to say we work out too much. We help each other realize when we need rest and you're there to chat and make me laugh.

And of course to Mike Nicholson! You've started an amazing community and I'm so happy to be a part of it. I love learning more and more about your personal story, how you started Mike Nicholson Hip Hop Fitness and how you interweave all your efforts into the larger community. 

You all are my health heroes and I appreciate you so much.

I pray to continue this activity well into my older years. There are so many women, all shapes and sizes that keep coming to classes. When we are willing to join a community we must be willing to share our experiences. I've been reading a link that was shared with me about hip replacements and while I pray I will never need one I do know family members and friends who have gone through the replacement process. I appreciate the American Recall Center for asking me to contribute to their Who Keeps You Healthy Campaign. You can read more here: ARC -- Hip Replacement

The Easter Challenge

I've mentioned before that I am very active on the Jenny Craig forums and we often hold challenges that allow us to set smaller goals and encourage each other along. For our St. Patrick's day challenge I was within two pounds of my goal which I was really proud of.

March 17th through April 20th will be my challenge and I'll update weekly with my progress. I weighed in on March 19th for the start of the challenge at 187.8. I am setting my goal at 179!!!
I also have some non-scale goals:
- Complete c25k through week 7 day 3 (I'm in week 5 right now) but this is weather permitting.
- Go to Hip Hop 4x a week
- Track my whole week of food in advance on myfitnesspal!

I haven't been in the 170's since high school. In order to reach this goal I'm sticking to my calorie goal between 13000-1400. Some events coming up for me during the challenge:

3/14 - 3/16: NYC trip (made it successfully with NO gain... actually a 2+ lb. loss)
3/24: 2 hour Hip Hop class
3/29: Ara's first birthday party (must stay away from cake... I don't love cake but I still will eat it, why?)
3/30: Hosting my first Tastefully Simple party
4/12: My first 5k of the year -- Color Me Rad
EASTER:

I'm sure more things will pop up in between, they always do. Lunches with coworkers, dinners with my family. Some events where I will need to be super careful and other things that will serve to push my further in my weight loss goals. I was following the 365 Day Fit Challenge by Ashley over at Coffe Cake and Cardio I've still been active just about every day but I'm going to challenge myself to instagram it each day! So, instagram friends ... be prepared (@faizayagi)

I encourage you to join me in this Easter Challenge. I'm going to set up a page on Facebook to check in at and let me know how you're doing as well as to update you more on how I'm doing.

The Whoosh Fairy

Saturday's weigh in stunk! I was up on the scale and I faced reality that I wasn't being as disciplined. This week I've been working on staying close to my calorie level and keeping up my workouts (that aspect never dropped out of last week).

Saturday I had two back to back hip hop classes.
Sunday I had hip hop class for one hour.
Monday I went for a jog with my daughter in our neighborhood.
Tuesday one hour hip hop class.

Obviously, I am keeping busy. I've become somewhat addicted to honey almond butter. I bought the single packets and have been using them for breakfast on 2 waffles and then topped with sugar free syrup. It's so filling and sweet and salty. I resolved to not eat out this week but, that did not happen. On a long morning of errands my husband ran us through Arby's. I made it work and I won't lie, it was yummy. I love roast beef and horseradish sauce.

Now that I'm going back to weigh in Wednesdays I was nervous to see where I was at. Well, I was pleasantly surprised:

WOOOO HOOOO!

That would be down 4.8 pounds since Saturday!!! See what staying on track, exercising, getting enough sleep and enough water will do for you? Now, I doubt I'll see this at my weigh in time but I saw it and that's what makes me happy. I know my body fluctuations in and out.

This weekend we're going on a spur of the moment trip to New York City to see my husband's aunt from Niger. I'm really excited! I just need to plan ahead for my car food. I'm thinking Subway will be my BFF. I plan on walking my butt off although my overworked husband doesn't seem to be looking forward to walking all that much.

I will really miss my hip hop classes but I always love a weekend getaway. Getting into the 180's will be even more motivation to stay on point even while in New York.