It's a zoo out there!

Oh what a day we've had! Actually its been a pretty active weekend, but today was non stop.

Noo and I were up at 6am as usual. Brekky, shower, tidy up and out the door by 9. It was an absolutely stunning day today with perfect Sydney blue skies and a lovely low to mid 20s degrees and very little wind. Just perfect.

We strolled down to Circular Quay and got on the first ferry to Taronga Zoo. Noo absolutely loved the ferry ride. A lot of other people had the same idea as us and the boat was packed but it was a comfortable and short journey across Sydney Harbour. The zoo is situated kind of on a cliff going from the Harbour foreshore up towards Mosman. It really is a stunning location but gees, it was hard work getting around the steep grounds.

Going past the Opera House on the ferry

 

Loving being on the ferry

Check out that view!

I haven't been to the gym at all this year and I've been driving around a lot, unlike last year when I walked around with Noo in the pram for hours at a time and had two PT sessions a week. Boy did I notice it today! First I had to push Noo in the stroller up this massive hill to the entrance of the zoo. My heart was pounding and my breathing laboured by the time we reached the ticket counter. But $30 later for a concession ticket and we were through.

Although the zoo is really well organised and generally well designed, it is not stroller friendly. Especially not when you're on your own without someone to help get up and down steps. I was amazed too that not one person offered to help me the whole time we were there - very unAustralian. The positive side to this was that I had to do a lot of upper body work to drag the stroller from step to step. Not only did we have a great day checking out loads of animals, I basically exercised for 3 hours as we moved from enclosure to enclosure.

We finished our zoo trip by this little pretend beach that had been designed to show people about the importance of keeping beaches clean and tidy. Noo and lots of other kids stripped off to jump in and splash about in the warm spring sun. It was the highlight of Noo's visit I think as he splashed about for ages in a t-shirt and his nappy.

Checking out the beautiful Koi

Although Noo likes to pretend he's an elephant with trunk and sound effects, he found the real thing a bit scary.

Loving the chickens

If there's water, there's fun!

The view from Taronga Zoo

Self portrait

Don't know why I can't get vertical shots in the right way...

Splashing about in the man made beach

The best part of out adventure at the zoo

Lots of kids having fun under the blowhole

After the zoo we took the bus up town to Dymocks bookshop as I know it is the perfect way to bore Noo to sleep. We couldn't get anything decent at the zoo for lunch so once Noo fell asleep I was free to get something to eat in peace.

I decided I felt like sushi. I'm pretty much tolerating solid food now but its difficult to know what to get while I'm out. I'm not brave enough to try bread in a sandwich yet or salad, as I've heard those things can be difficult. Last night I ate 1.5 thin sausages that I cooked for Noo's dinner with no trouble at all so I thought a little sushimi would be a good protein laden low fat lunch option.

I went to this little Japanese cafe in the Queen Victoria Building and completely over ordered. My stomach my have changed size, but my eyes are still as big as they were, especially seeing as I was starving. Before I knew it I was sitting at a table with plates of sushimi and tempura, miso and rice. I managed to eat half the raw fish and four out of six pieces of tempura including three tempura prawns and a piece of pumpkin battered and deep fried as tempura is. The food was delicious! The guilt was horrific! I didn't feel bad about the sushimi - that was a good, nutritious and low fat choice, but the tempura was naughty, naughty, naughty! It was so yummy though it was kind of worth it, I think...

Yum!

Not long after I'd finished my lunch Noo woke up and wanted to move on. We walked back through the underground arcade and into the Sydney Central Plaza building where Noo started shouting "more, more!" which means I'm hungry mum. I got him a chocolate milkshake and mini cookies from Mrs Fields. More naughtiness. Its ok for him I suppose, he is the most slender baby I've ever known, but the problem was mummy helped him with both. God, the guilt! I had a couple of mouthfuls of the full cream milkshake and two of the cookies he didn't want. The were mini cookies, only the size of an Aussie 50 cent piece, but gees I felt bad about it. Its 8.30pm here now and I'm still pretty full so I won't have any dinner but I feel like I've undone all the good I did walking around the zoo.

I have my first surgeon's appointment since the op on Wednesday. I also have to see the dietitian and the psychologist while I'm there. I was kind of looking forward to it before the weekend but since I've been eating sausages and tempura and cookies, I'm a bit nervous as I feel like I've fallen off the wagon a bit. My restriction has definitely gone down a lot in the last week. I still do feel some restriction as I'm not eating anywhere near as much as I used to but I'm feeling more hungry more often and that is not good. I do want to be able to eat normal food though. Arrggghhh. I am beginning to understand other bloggers frustrations now about finding that "sweet spot" in the green zone when you've got the right restriction.

Oh well, I still haven't got any fill yet, so let the games begin! I'm hoping I might get a little on Wednesday although I'll only be 3.5 weeks post op so he'll probably make me wait til 6 weeks have passed before that happens.

Monday morning

We have been up since before 5am and I'm absolutely buggered after being kicked in the guts most the night by my restless little boy. Didn't get a chance to post this last night so I'll finish up now, get Noo to kindy and then I've cancelled my commitments today so I can go back to bed.

I weighed in this morning and it was just as I suspected - no change from last week. I'm pretty disappointed but I kind of knew because I didn't feel different. In fact I feel quite bloated as its TTOTM, albeit at the end, and I haven't been to the toilet since last weekend! This constipation is not good. Need more fibre in my diet. And more protein. After my nap I'm going shopping to find some decent tasting protein powder and buy up lots of vegies.

Ciao for now!

V.