M&M

Here lately at Elite we have been having Max-Out Monday.  It's been awesome because we are fresh and our muscles have gotten a break from the weekend.  A lot of us do workout on the weekends...it just seems different I guess because you have the rest of the day to relax instead of having to go to work after a workout or work all day, then go workout.  I mean...most of the times on the weekends there are chores and errands and doing hood rat things with your friends to catch up on...but there is just more rest time on the weekends even if you've worked out!  Anywho...I have loved doing M&M because I have gotten some new PR's the past couple of weeks!  Nothing seriously major...actually just a 5 pound increase on the last three things we've done.  But, Cody put it to me in a really good way...5 pounds for me is like 10-15 pounds for him...so I'll take it!!!  It's improving and that's a major plus and excitement for me!  Here are a few new 1 RM (rep max) weights for me:

Bench:

125 lbs.

Squat:

170 lbs.

Push Jerk:

110 lbs.

I'm excited about those numbers...especially because I'm almost 28 years old and I'm maxing out more now than I did in high school when I was between the ages of 13-17!!!  I'm telling you, CrossFit does amazing things for your fitness levels.  They don't call it "Forging Elite Fitness" for nothing.  And...the CrossFit Games is all about finding the "Fittest on Earth."  Age has no discrepancy when it comes to CrossFit.  Anyone can do it and they can do it to their level and their ability.  When I first started, I was a lot weaker and a lot more doubtful of myself than I am now.  In fact, one of the skills that I'm working on right now is Double Unders (DUs).  A DU is when you are swinging the jump rope around you twice and only jumping once.  It's pretty intense and requires a lot of coordination.  The breakdown if you can't do DUs is 3:1 for Single Unders (SUs).  Which means, if a WOD calls for 10 DUs, and you can't do them, then you do 30 SUs.  Obviously, a SU is just normal jump rope!  I have just recently gotten to where I can do DUs...so I am still struggling with them in WODs.  Especially WODs like a couple we did last week.  We did "Filthy 50"...a benchmark WOD and another WOD that was:

100 DUs

30 Pull-Ups

30 Hang Cleans (135/95 RX)

30 Pull-Ups

100 DUs.

I did the WOD RXd...but the DUs took me a total of 10 minutes.  4 minutes for the first 100, then after I did 60 Pull-Ups and 30 Hang Cleans at 95 lbs, my shoulders were fried and it took me 6 minutes to do the last 100.  The same thing happened with "Filthy 50."  Here's that WOD:

50 Double unders
50 Burpees
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Back extensions
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Knees to elbows
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (35 lbs)
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Box jump, 24 inch box

I decided to the DUs last...stupid on my part.  There is a lot of shoulder work...well...it's really your entire body that is getting a serious workout!  But, I started the DUs at about 21 minutes and I finished the WOD in 26 something.  Towards the end, I was only doing one at a time.  Needless to say...I was a little mad!  However, I keep telling myself that this is part of CrossFit.  I want to break this mental/physical barrier that I have put up when it comes to things like DUs and do them RXd and forget about my time.  Yes, I want to finish fast; yes, I want to lift heavy weights; yes, I want to win.  But, I will NEVER get any better if I keep cheating myself by doing SUs instead of DUs, or by doing less than the RXd weight if it's doable for me.  Sometimes, it's not and that's ok.  I just do as close to RX as I can and tell myself that I will get there soon.  For instance, a few weeks ago, the WOD was 3-3 minute AMRAPS.  One of those AMRAPS was 3 95 lb clean and jerks and 5 burpees.  Well, I only did 4 rounds, but I did the RXd weight.  And you know what?  I also failed on a few of my clean and jerks.  I just couldn't get my arms locked out.  But, you also know what else?  Now, just a few weeks later, I can do that weight and not fail and get more rounds!  It's still hard...don't get me wrong.  But, I'm slowly learning that my times are going to be slower for awhile and that's ok because I'm getting stronger and doing skill work that is really tough for me.  I'm already getting better at DUs and I've only been doing them in WODs for 2 weeks now.  I've been chickening out and only doing SUs because I knew my time would be faster instead of sucking it up and doing DUs until I finally had them down.  Today our WOD was:

Strength:

Work up to a 1 RM for Push Jerk

WOD:

"Karen"

150 Wall Balls

Then whatever time was left of 20 minutes, do an AMRAP of:

10 Kettle Bell Swings

10 Double Unders

10 Push Ups

For example, I finished "Karen" right at 6 minutes, so for the next 14 minutes I completed as many rounds as I could of the KB swings, DUs, and Push Ups.  I didn't count my rounds...oops!  But, I did the DUs again and was already better at them.  The most I did was 6...but that was a victory for me!  This is one of the many, many things I love about CrossFit.  You see a drastic improvement within days, and you realize more about yourself and what your body can do than you ever realize.  CrossFit has a very special place in my heart.  I love the community that it brings, I love that I get to workout with my hubby and best friends, I love pushing my body to it's max everyday, I love that I can use the CrossFit acronyms in our house and around all our besties and they know exactly what I'm talking about, I also love saying one of the "girl's name," "hero" or other benchmark workouts to anyone that does CrossFit and you immediately get the "OMG...that one is a killer!"...which always means it's a great one...but man...it will take everything out of you!  CrossFit is more than a workout, it's a way of life and something that I am proud to be a part of.

Paleo Eats

Cody and I have been eating pretty strict Paleo since November now.  There were still a few grains and pastas that I had to use up when we decided to start making the transistion to Paleo back in August.  I just couldn't bear to waste the food...so I randomly used it here and there until it was all gone.  Once those were finally all out of the pantry, it was right around November when we fully adopted the Paleo lifestyle.  I talked in another post about a few things that I probably won't give up even though they aren't Paleo...three of them being oatmeal, peanut butter, and coffee creamer.  I still eat those things on a daily basis.  The oatmeal is what I eat for breakfast with two heaping tablespoons of peanut butter and then I use the creamer in my coffee.  I absolutely love oatmeal and it is the only thing that I've found (for me personally) that keeps me full for a good 2-3 hours in the mornings.  I still eat a mid-morning snack, which is usually almonds, a piece of fruit, some sort of raw veggies, or a muscle gain shake from Advocare.  When I make my oatmeal, I buy raw, gluten free oats (Bob's Red Mill brand)...none of that packaged nonsense!  I mix one serving of the oats (1/2 cup) with 1 1/2 cup of water and one whole apple chopped up into little pieces with a tablespoon of chopped walnuts...and maybe a few sprinkle of raisins if I have any on hand!  I add some cinnamon and a squirt of honey or maple syrup for a touch of sweetness, then top the entire thing with low sodium peanut butter.  It's a yummy, filling, big breakfast and I look forward to it every morning!  So, I figure if I love it and I'm eating heart healthy grains in the morning, I have plenty of time to burn it off and it helps me get my day started right!  Don't get me wrong.  I've made Paleo muffins and breads, Paleo "oatmeal", and even eaten bacon, eggs, sausage, omelets, etc.  They are all yummy and delicious...but nothing like my old faithful...oatmeal!  Other than that, I eat everything else according to the Paleo lifestyle...and I have never felt better!  At first, it was kinda hard thinking about having to add one more veggie or salad to a meal instead of using brown rice, pasta, or another type of complex carb or grain.  But now, it's so easy and really is a lot more simple.

I didn't realize how bloated and lethargic I felt when I was eating carbs day in and day out.  It was just part of my normal, everyday routine and had been my entire life.  Now that I'm eating lean protein and loads of veggies, I have SO much more energy and I have noticed a huge difference in my CrossFit workouts.  I've gotten new 1 rep max's, PR's, and have gotten way better in my skill work.  I know a lot of that is because I've been focusing on those things.  But a lot of it comes from the food I'm putting in my body...it's truly fuel for my workouts as well as fuel for normal everyday life.  Since Cody and I have been eating pretty strict Paleo...probably about 90% Paleo 10% not Paleo, I thought I would share some of the recipes that I've been making.  You can truly see that once you embark on this lifestyle, you don't have to miss out on anything!  I make Paleo sweets on occasion...but the awesome thing is is that I really don't crave sweets anymore because I'm nourishing my body with food that fills more than just a craving.  Here are the recipes with links if you want to give them a whirl!  Enjoy!!!

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara from PaleOMG - I used and 8oz. container of fresh mushrooms instead of artichokes.  I made this for my lunch throughout the week...delish!

Paleasagna from What Runs Lori - We typically don't do dairy, but I did in this recipe!  I used cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt and feta goat cheese that I found at Natural Grocers.  I also used an 8oz. container of fresh mushrooms instead of the broccoli.  This recipe was THE BOMB!  I will be making this as one of our rotating meals!

Breakfast Bacon and Maple Sausage Balls from PaleOMG - I didn't change a single thing on this recipe...and they were a yummy addition to our Christmas morning breakfast!

Taco Pie from Paleo Diet Lifestyle - I stuck to the recipe to a T...it's awesome!  I've made it twice and it gets gobbled up with no leftovers!  I didn't use homemade BBQ sauce...I did use the Annie's Organic BBQ sauce...which is not exactly Paleo because of the sugar.  But, because it's organic...I don't really mind it since we don't eat it very often.  I got the sauce at Natural Grocers.

Sausage and Peppers from The Clothes Make the Girl - I've made this using red wine, white wine, and chicken broth...all three times it's been super yummy and just a tad bit of difference due to the different types of liquid.  I buy the Applegate Farms Organic sausage...I've bought the chipotle kind and the sweet Italian kind.  Both are amazing!  I've made it three times and have plans to make it again this week.

Fish Tacos from Paleo Diet Lifestyle - I made this one night for Britt and I.  Our boys were out of town hunting...so we had a girls night of cooking!  Cody's not too keen on fish...so I wanted to make this when I knew he wouldn't be eating it!  Britt and I LOVED it!!!  I will be making this again for sure!  Since tacos usually come with beans and rice...which are no no's for Paleo!  But...I wanted rice with these fish tacos.  So, I found a recipe for Mexican cauliflower rice from PaleOMG and it was awesome!!!

Stuffed Pork Chops from Paleo Pot - I made this one Sunday for lunch after church.  It was a little time consuming because of all the steps...but so worth it!  I got up an hour early so I could chop everything, saute the onions and bacon, and stuff the pork chops.  But once it was all done, all I had to do was turn on the crock pot, walk away, and come home from church with lunch ready to go!  I made this with roasted carrot and zucchini fries and sweet potato wedges.  When I use oil for anything, I use coconut oil!  It's so much better!!!

Smoky Bacon Chili from PaleOMG - This is to die for!!!  I have made this multiple times and it is always a crowd pleaser!  Have you noticed that I love me some PaleOMG?!?!?  Juli is my favorite...and she has a cookbook coming out!!!  If you pre-order it now, you get it for $19.99 and free shipping...and you get it before everyone else!  Otherwise it's $24.95 and you have to wait.  It will be here in April...I'm pumped for that package to arrive on my doorstep!!!

Paleo Crockpot Pork Green Chile from PaleOMG - I used 2 pounds of chicken breast and 1 pound of roasted green chiles.  I also used fire roasted tomatoes.  This was SPICY!  I needed to use up the green chiles, so I didn't even bother using anything but what I had and using all of them so they wouldn't go bad.  I should have stuck more to the recipe or only used half of the chiles I had.  I wound up taking the leftovers to school until it was gone because no one else would eat it!  I did make some Paleo cornbread...so that helped to soak up some of the heat!  Next time...I will listen to Juli and make the recipe just like she wrote it!

Pot Roast from Martha Stewart - Obviously Martha is not following the Paleo lifestyle.  But...she knows how to put together a mean pot roast!  This was another recipe I made on a Sunday...and it was the perfect comfort food meal!  I did add an 8oz. container of mushrooms to the mix.  The wonderful thing about this recipe...I didn't make any extra sides!  It was truly a one pot, throw it in and forget about it meal.  Love these for busy nights!

Paleo Pepperoni Pizza Casserole from Tessa the Domestic Diva - I am so happy to say that this recipe was amazing...even Cody said so!  I have made spaghetti squash and meatballs a few times and he finally told me that he was not a fan of spaghetti squash.  He said that he doesn't like being tricked into thinking that spaghetti squash is actually regular noodles.  So, I make it for my myself when I want spaghetti squash...usually in my lunches.  I haven't bought regular spaghetti in months.  When I came across this recipe, I told him about it and he said he'd be willing to give it another try.  I'm not sure if it was different because this was baked or because he knew going into it that this was, in fact, a type of squash and not another type of regular pasta.  I will definitely be making this again!

Honey Glazed Balsamic Roasted Carrots from Marci Coombs- We both really love carrots, but I always like finding new ways to incorporate them into a meal, other than putting them in a salad or having them stuck inside the crock pot with other veggies and meat.  This recipe is really easy and super yummy.  I buy a small bag of the organic baby carrots and just toss them with the rest of the ingredients.  The carrots are just slightly sweet, super soft, and oh so delicious!
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables from Emily Bites - These are a staple in our house when it comes to side dishes.  Cody and I both really love vegetables...and balsamic vinegar.  No...seriously...I use it as my salad dressing by itself...I could drink the stuff!  These veggies are absolutely delicious.  I've made the recipe exactly like it's written and I've also mixed up the different kinds of veggies so it's different.  Our favorite combo is zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms...I just get enough of these three veggies so that it's about the same as the original recipe calls for with all the other various kinds of veggies!

Paleo Pizza - I made this Paleo pizza crust on a Friday night...because Friday nights should be about relaxing, watching movies, eating pizza, and maybe have a glass of wine to wind down from the week!  However, a traditional pizza crust is NOT Paleo...wah, wah, wah :-(  So, I set out to find a Paleo pizza crust that would suffice my cravings and hopefully give Cody that "junk food" feel.  Well...the toppings were delish!  I topped it with about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of Newman's Own organic pasta sauce, then I sauteed an onion, 2 green peppers, an 8oz. container of sliced mushrooms, and 5 garlic cloves, then used Applegate Farms natural pepperoni as the meat topping.  Oh...I also bought some raw goat cheese from Natural Grocers and put just a touch on the top.  Cody was not a fan of this crust...honestly...it wasn't my favorite either.  The flavor was really good, but it was very dry.  I won't be making this crust again, but I'm definitely going to try out another recipe!  Pizza isn't something I will incorporate into our meals regularly, but it's nice to have it every once in awhile and I want a good crust recipe so that my pizza is as yummy as take out!

Balsamic Winter Throw Together Bake from PaleOMG - I made this for a Saturday lunch when my Mimi was in town and everyone loved it!  Well...Cody didn't exactly LOVE it...but he did like it!  He said he'd eat it again, but it wouldn't be one he would request.  But, everyone else really liked it...even Mimi took some home for leftovers.  This dish actually got better as the flavors all melded together.  I made this along with glazed carrots and roasted balsamic veggies.

Cauliflower Rice from PaleOMG - Here are several different cauliflower rice from PaleOMG.  She doesn't have any recipes that are strictly rice.  But these recipes all have rice in the dish or use it as a side.  I've used several of the rice recipes for a side dish or to add substance to a casserole or soup...all are delish!

Frozen Veggies - I buy frozen veggies every single time I go to the store.  HEB has a ton of different varieties to choose from and I usually go nuts when buying them.  They never go bad and they are quick and easy when I don't have time to chop and prepare the other veggies.  I don't put anything fancy on them, I just open the bag, dumb it in a glass bowl, sprinkle a little water on them, then put them in the microwave for 8-10 minutes and they are ready to be eaten.  PS...I only buy the veggies where that is the only ingredient.  So...make sure and check the ingredients list!

Sweet Potato Wedges and Sweet Potato Rounds - I linked a sweet potato wedge recipe that I use probably 3-5 times a week.  We love our sweet potatoes!  I also came across some purple Japanese sweet potatoes that you can get from Natural Grocers.  Thank you Brittany for introducing me to these...LOVE!!!  They are just slightly sweeter than the traditional orange sweet potatoes, but they have more of a texture like a regular white potato.  I make these into wedges also.  But sometimes, I want a little bit thinner cut for these bad boys.  It's easier if you just slice them into rounds, that way you aren't having to make multiple cuts to get them thin enough to cook but not burn.  I typically do 3-5 sweet potatoes at a time, no matter if I'm making wedges or rounds.  I cook them all the same...400 degrees for 20 minutes on each side tossed with about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and a pinch of salt.  Sometimes I like to get crazy with the traditional sweet potatoes.  I've put cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder...not all at the same time of course!  They are delish...Cody always asks for them!!!

Our Paleo Christmas!!!  Below are the Paleo recipes I made for our family Christmas dinner with Cody's family...except for the pecan pie.  That's from The Pioneer Woman!  Hope you enjoy!!!

Autumn Spiced Pork Tenderloin - I doubled this recipe.

Stuffing - I used the whole loaf of coconut bread and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans instead of the crispy nuts the recipe calls for.  I also doubled the amount of spices that it calls for but left everything else the same!

Balsamic Green Beans - I tripled this recipe.

Slow Cooked Sweet Potatoes - I doubled this recipe and I nixed the balsamic vinegar and used coconut oil in its place...I also left off the parsley.  And I added cinnamon...maybe 2 teaspoons.

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

See...it's super easy...and absolutely yummy to eat Paleo!  I feel SO much better and WAY more energized throughout my day.  Cody says he feels better too...he's eating Paleo 80% of the time.  Now...go try these recipes and be amazed at how much you don't miss all that other junk that's filling your body with toxins!

December 12th...

This post is a very personal post...but I feel like it is important to share some of the struggles that Cody and I have been going through.  Most of the time, people keep things in that are personal, touchy subjects.  You never hear much about problems, crisis, struggles, heartbreaks, etc. until you are telling someone else what you are going through and they, in fact, have a similar story.  All of our family and extremely close friends (also family) have been praying with us and supporting us every since we found out some potentially disheartening information back in June.  We have undoubtedly had God, our amazing family, precious, dear friends, and the power of prayer on our side these past several months.  But, I didn't want to blog about this until I talked to Cody and made sure he was comfortable with sharing our news on my blog.  He was totally on board when I asked him...for the same reasons that I want to share it with you too.  We both just feel like we could be a testimony and inspiration to other people who are going through similar circumstances so that they know there is hope, but mainly to come to know that God will never give you anything you can't handle and will bring such glory and joy in the most fearful and questioning of times.

When Cody and I first got married...well before that really...we had the "baby" talk.  We both agreed that 5 years was a good time to seriously think about starting to try to get pregnant.  Cody would be 30 and I would be 27, we would be more established, have had time to travel, update our house, and just be together as a couple...and spoil our 3 precious dogs completely rotten!  Anyone that knows me, knows that I was not so "gung-ho" to have babies and be a mom.  I've just never been very maternal and I've definitely never had that longing to be a mom like a lot of other girls experience.  I love kids, especially my family's and friend's kiddos.  But I would cringe, literally cringe when we would be out eating, in church, at a grocery store, etc. and parents would let their kids scream and cry and act like little tyrants.  It usually made me feel like my feeling about having my own kids was affirmed that it was not a good idea because I didn't want my kids to act or be like that.  Cody, on the other hand, has been ready to have babies for a long time and has been patiently waiting on me.  He's an amazing man and will be an amazing daddy.  He never once pushed me or pushed the subject.  It would come up in conversation occasionally, but it was more just conversation on how we want to be as parents, how we would decorate a nursery if it was a boy or girl, etc.  So, in the last 4 1/2 years, Cody and I have completely updated our house, gone to Vegas, L.A., Riviera Maya, Jamaica, mini trips to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, weekend getaways with friends and family, I got my Masters, Cody's gone on some pretty awesome hunting trips, we've laughed, dreamed, played together and sporadically and randomly done impulse things, and our 3 dogs think they're humans!  On March 1, 2013 we will have been married for 5 years!  They flew by, but I can't think of one thing I would change or give back a single moment with him, our 3 lovies, and our friends and family.

All that to say that my feelings have completely changed in the past year and a half.  It's been a slow change, but I know it's because God has been preparing my heart for the day when Cody and I would find out we were pregnant and have nine months until a precious little one was ours.  I know a big part of the reason I've changed, other than by the grace of God, is because of how precious Cody has been and because of all the praying my family and friends have been doing.  They all know me so well and know how I've felt for most of my life about being a mom and they also knew that I would have to do some serious changing before I was ready to even consider starting to try.  Don't get me wrong, I still go back and forth occasionally.  But I've done a complete 180.  So, for me, I'm probably as ready as I'm ever going to be.

Last year, around our four year anniversary, we really started talking about "our plan." Which is really funny when you think about it because it's never really "our plan."  God is always the one in charge and it is our job to be in prayer all the time that we are following through with His plans for us and that His will be done...not ours.  Which is super hard...especially for control freaks, type A, OCD personalities like ME!!!  Since we had kinda made a "plan," and the next year would be our 5 year anniversary, we decided to start taking some initial steps to start getting ready to try.  The first thing that we needed to do was for me to change doctors.  My doctor was only a gynecologist, she stopped delivering babies back in the early 90's.  It was hard for me to change doctors because she was my mom's doctor and had delivered both me and my brother, Michael.  Needless to say, I wholeheartedly trusted her.  However, I had no doubt on which doctor I was going to switch to when the time came.  Dr. Tadvick was the first and only choice that I had for who would be my doctor when it was time to change.  Even though it was hard to leave my other doctor, I wasn't a bit nervous when I first walked into Dr. Tadvick's office.  Most of my girlfriends go to him and I have heard nothing but amazing things about this man and what he does as a doctor and as a spiritual leader...this man has been given some amazing God-given spiritual gifts.

I made an appointment in the spring to go see him in June.  This was just a consultation type visit, since my normal appointment wasn't for a few months later.  One of the things that Cody and I had talked about when we were more serious about trying and when I switched doctors was to just do some initial testing to make sure both of our levels were normal.  We've had some friends go through heartbreak and struggles when trying to get pregnant, so we just wanted to see if there was anything that was red-flagged for our levels and stuff before we spend years and years trying when something could have been caught in the beginning.  Plus, I had been on the pill for about 9 years, and my body fat percentage is really low.  Needless to say, I hadn't been regular (I hadn't really had one at all), going on 2 years.  So, when Cody and I went in for the appointment, we talked to him about "our plan" and the concerns we had about me and my regularity and just doing some initial testing to jump the gun if anything was seriously abnormal.

Let me tell you, I am SO glad that we decided to do some testing.  When we told Dr. Tadvick we both wanted to do some testing, he didn't hesitate one bit, but he did say it was a little abnormal that Cody wanted to get tested too.  Most men just wait until it's been awhile for trying when they decide to give a sample and have it analyzed.  The testing they did for me was just normal thyroid level testing and then my progesterone level.  My progesterone level was low, but only because of being on the pill for so long.  He gave me some medicine to jump start my body and everything has been fine ever since.  Unfortunately, we didn't receive such good news when it came to Cody's analysis.  His count was really low, but the scary thing was that the motility rate was less than 1%.  Obviously, something was very wrong, but we didn't know what.

Dr. Tadvick referred us to a Urology/Fertility specialist in Frisco.  His name is Dr. Jeffrey Buch and he is another amazing, world renowned doctor.  Cody and I made an appointment to go see him in July so that we could figure out what was going on with his body.  The minute we got to Dr. Buch's office, we felt so comfortable.  He takes his time with you, explains everything in detail, and doesn't act like your crazy or stupid if you ask questions.  During the appointment, we found out that Cody has what's called varicocele, which is like varicose veins that prevents the blood to flow properly.  After we found this out, we were at first taken aback.  Whenever you first think of male infertility, your initial thoughts automatically go to IVF...or mine did anyways.  I just never really thought there was anything that could be done for male infertility until it affected us and Dr. Buch explained everything there was to know about varicocele.  Thankfully, it can be reversed through surgery and it has about a 66% chance of improvement.  There are three different surgical procedures that can be done to correct the vericocle, the one Dr. Buch was going to perform on Cody was the bilateral varicocelectomy.  So, the next step for us was to see when it would be best for Cody to have the surgery.

We got home and started looking at the calendar and talking about what would be best for Cody and his work schedule.  Since they aren't very busy during the winter months, you can't really get up on a roof to measure it and your roofers can't roof when it's cold, so we decided that December would probably be the best choice for us.  It would also be good timing for me because I would be getting out of school for two weeks and would be at home for him if he wasn't fully recovered yet.  When we called the doctors office to schedule the surgery, they had December 12th open and we took the 2:30 pm time.  Since his surgery was on a Wednesday, I took off from the 11th at noon and didn't go back to school until the following Monday.  Leading up to the surgery, we were both really at peace with how we felt things would go.  There was a chance Dr. Buch would open him and wouldn't be able to repair anything.  But, we had been praying against that with our family and our Life Group...so we felt confident that Dr. Buch would be able to perform the surgery and fix the vericocele in both sides.  But, when it came time for the surgery and they were taking him back to the OR, I got really nervous.  There are so many things that can go wrong and I just let my mind get the best of me for a little while.  The surgery was supposed to take about 2 1/2 hours and I bet I looked at the clock every 10 minutes there for awhile.  I had brought my iPad and watched a movie that finally helped to pass the time and before I knew it, Dr. Buch was coming around the corner with a big smile on his fact.  My heart started beating a mile a minute because I could just feel that everything had gone perfectly and he was ok and out of surgery.  When he came over to me, he told me the exact words that I had been feeling.  There were no complications and he was able to remove and reverse the vericocele on both sides...and he finished about 15 minutes early!  We were walking, slowly, back to the car out of the hospital around 6:00 that evening.  Bless his heart, he hadn't been able to eat since the night before.  Thankfully, we ate at BJ's with Amie and Ryan and he got a large pizza that kept him pretty full through the morning of his surgery...but he was starving by the time they were wheeling him back.  So, the first thing on the agenda was to grab some dinner.  Jason's Deli sounded good to him, so off we went.  We didn't eat there, we went in and got the order to go and took it back to the hotel.  From that moment on, we were on the road to recovery.

We left from Frisco Thursday morning and headed home and from Thursday to Saturday, Cody stayed in our bed unless he absolutely had to get up.  He did try on Saturday to sit in the recliner in the living room, but it wasn't at all comfortable to him, so he moved back to the bed.  By Sunday, he was feeling so much better and was up a moving around.  I actually needed to go to Albertson's for a few groceries to make dinner and he wound up coming with me, just to get out of the house and walk around for a bit.  I know he was so glad to be up and moving around.  He was walking around pretty good for just having surgery 3 days earlier.  From Sunday on has been a smooth, upward climb.  He went in to work for a couple of hours every day that next week, went hunting about a week after the surgery, and felt pretty much back to normal about a week and a half following surgery.  The one thing that was hardest for him during his recovery was that he couldn't work out...and even when he started back he had to take is slow and easy.  There would be no dead lifting 400+ pounds, overhead squatting 200+ pounds, bench pressing 300+ pounds, etc. and really no CrossFitting unless it was just body weight WODs.  His first day back at the box was the first day back to school for me, January 7th.  He took it slow the first week and has increased the intensity from there every week.  This week he is back to lifting the RXd weight for the WODs...but still no maxing out.  He feels better and better everyday...sometimes we both forget he just had surgery 6 weeks ago!  We go back to Dr. Buch on March 25th to see if the surgery has worked.  He will check his levels, his count, and most importantly, the motility rate.  After that, we go back in another 3 months, so sometime in June...a full year after we first found all this out.  God has taken such good care of us during all of this and our family and friends have been right by our side praying for us and with us. We are truly blessed and so happy to be on the road to recovery.  We feel confident that when we go to the Dr. in March, everything will be normal and God will have healed him and we can move forward with plans to expand our little family of 5!

"I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord." ~ Isaiah 66:9

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!  I can't believe that it's already getting close to the end of January.  2013 is off to a fast and furious start!  I have got lots of things to talk about and several posts that I've been meaning to post for a couple of months now.  The holidays kept me busy and a little preoccupied...and then I got a little lazy!  Oops!!!  I guess I just needed some down time before I got back to talking your ears off!  Have a great week and I'll be catching up with you very, very soon!!!