Friday, October 12, 2012

Bullying

About 2 weeks or so ago, Daniel got off the bus upset.  He didn't say anything but I could tell something was wrong.  I tried to cheer him up and told him we were going to his Dika's (Grandma) to get his hair cut.  He was really in need of a hair cut. He didn't cheer up at all. When we got to my mom's for the hair cuts, he still seemed down so I asked him how school was and he said it wasn't good.  He didn't want to elaborate though.  I had to pry it out of him and he told me what happened. First, a boy from his class poked him in his mouth with the pointy end of a stick.  The teacher talked to that boy and everything was fine there but on the playground, Daniel was playing on the play scape bridge and a boy came up and pushed him from behind causing Daniel to flip over the side and fall, landing on the top of his head.  I was outraged that no one would call me when he fell on the top of his head like that. Apparently, no one saw this. He didn't tell anyone either.  I was very upset and concerned for him and poor Daniel was crying about it for a while that evening because he was scared to go to school the next day.  I emailed his teacher and she said she wasn't aware of it and would bring up at the staff meeting that morning that that area needs to be watched more closely and that she would have Daniel show her who the boy was that pushed him so he could be dealt with.  I couldn't believe that my son, only 3 weeks into Kindergarten, could be going through his first bullying experience.  After talking about this with a friend, she made me realize that it probably seemed very deliberate to Daniel and by all means scared him but that boy probably didn't hurt him on purpose.  It was probably an accident but the boy didn't know he knocked Daniel down... he was probably just pushing him out of his way while he was running across the bridge.  Never the less, the boy should be talked to about the proper way to play.

I received a lot of feedback about this topic on Facebook.  Many friends said I should speak with the boys' parents.  Some said I should march into the principle's office and demand something be done, etc, etc...  I chose to talk to his teacher (via email and in person) and ask her to keep an eye on Daniel to make sure nothing like this happens again.  I chose not to go in to the principle's office this time because his teacher told me she would handle it.  I trust that she will. This was a one time thing as of this point.  The boy that poked him in the mouth was  from his class.  Daniel came home a couple days later with a card from him  that said "I'm sorry Daniel".  That was really nice of him to do that. (I'm sure his mother made him though,  ha ha)  The boy that pushed him was a first grader that Daniel didn't know.

This whole thing really hit home for me because I was bullied as a child too.  Although mine wasn't physical bullying, it made me dread going to school too so I completely understood how Daniel was feeling.  I had low self esteem for a very long time because of my bullying experiences.  Kids can really be very mean.  I really hope and pray that we can be the generation that teaches our kids NOT to be that way.

One thing I realized as I was going through how bad I felt for Daniel and how upset he was, was that the boy that bullied him (if he was intentionally bullying him) is probably being bullied at home or by someone else in his life.  He needs to be shown love and acceptance to encourage him to stop being a bully.  So, I plan to build Daniel up as much as we can and tell him what an amazing kid he is and not to worry about bullies. They only do that stuff to try to make themselves look or feel better because they don't feel good about themselves.  So, in closing, I pray for those bullies that someone will love them and show them acceptance, build them up and make them feel worth while so the bullying will stop.

Thanks for reading. Comments are appreciated.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Weight Loss Journey Update

Hey friends!  It's been a while since I shared on my blog what's going on.... Sooo a bunch has happened since I last wrote.  Let me start by saying that I have officially lost 8 pounds so far, several inches and 2 dress sizes!  I also went down drastically in bra size which I know for some might seem sad but for me it was fantastic!  My back pain is almost gone now compared to where it was before.  HUGE difference!  I'm doing pretty well so far.  I had a little time in there where I wasn't able to work out or didn't have the drive for it so I wasn't as good for a bit.  I'm getting back into it though. 

Earlier this month, Chris had a business trip to Las Vegas for a week which meant I'd be home alone with the boys for a week straight - no break or help.  Normally, my mom would help me out or at least keep me company.  My parents happened to be in Italy at the same time and when they got home, they had to move!  So, she was not available - needless to say.  Chris's mom asked if the boys and I would like to come out stay with them for the week.  After thinking about it and contacting her best friend, Mary (who lives in Garden City, MI) and asking her if she'd like to drive out with me, we decided to go.  There was no way I was driving 9 hours with the kids alone.  I'd be insane!  They need way too much attention and help in the back of the car to not have an adult back there with them.  It worked out really well having here with us. I love Mary to death!  She's awesome!

On our way out, while Mary was driving ( she took over for me after I drove for about 5 hours),  we ran out of gas.  She had forgotten to pay attention to the gas gauge since she was driving my car and she's not used to it.  HA!  Amazingly, God was watching out for us and we ran out of gas right in front of a house (in the middle of the sticks in PA).  We pulled into the driveway coasting and the nice man that lived there named Ed told us he had just filled up his 5 gallon gas can the day before.  He offered us the gas.  We were so grateful for this!  We took his gas can, after putting the 5 gallons in the van's tank and went up to the gas station that was another 4 1/2 miles away and filled up the van and his gas can and returned it to him.  Praise God that He was watching over us that day.  That situation could have been so much worse and set us back hours on our drive time.  Instead, we got in at the expected time!

So, while we were visiting, I kind of slacked off on the working out.  I was on vacation!  I still ate pretty much according to my diet and ended up losing 1/2 pound that week which was amazing since the day before we came home, I had pizza twice.

After we got home, things went sort of back to normal.  My parents were moving so we were helping them a bit and there was one thing after another.  I had to get my birth control shot and for some reason the nurse put it in my butt instead of my hip.  My butt was sore for 3 days!  I also aggravated my tear in my left shoulder again and strained my tennis elbow helping my parents move.  So, I was kind of out of commission for working out for a few days.  Then, I had a night where I only got 3 hours of sleep because stupidly, I took a Claritin D in the evening and it gave me insomnia.  UGH

This past week, I lost another 1/2 pound even though I didn't do much working out at all.  So, I'm relieved.  This week, I'm back at it!  I did time on my elliptical running at full tilt and I'm getting back into doing my Zumba for Wii video.  Nathan wants to do it with me. 

I have to say it's a great feeling when I have to roll the tops of my shorts because they are close to falling off of me!  Clothes I haven't been able to wear in a long time fit me again too.

This weekend I'll be on a break though.  We are going out to Massachusetts because Chris's aunt Danielle passed away from pancreatic cancer.  We are going to the funeral.  My parents are keeping the boys for us.  I'm so glad about that because they would be super bored and wouldn't really understand what's going on at the funeral home.  I'm also looking forward to a brief break from being "Mommy"... A LOT.

We are really sad about losing Auntie.  She was always so sweet and welcoming to me.  I met his whole family after we'd been together only a few months ( I met his mom at the same time).  I have to say they are the most wonderful group of people I could ever ask for in a family. Auntie treated me like I was her own niece and after we had the boys, she would always send them presents for Christmas.  So nice of her!  I know this weekend will be hard and sad and tough to say good bye.  I feel so horrible for her kids.  Losing an aunt is nothing compared to losing your mom.  I am blessed to still have my mom and Chris's mom still around and in good health.  I would be devastated if I lost my mom.  She is my best friend.  I can only imagine how Andrea and B.J. feel and the imagination is bad enough.  I wish there was something I could do to comfort them more.  I've been praying for them and asking my bible study group to pray for them.  I hope the Lord gives them comfort in knowing she is in Heaven with Him now... no longer in pain and happier than we could ever imagine being.

Well, I'm starting to cry, so I'm going to leave it here.  May God bless you today and every day.

Hugs,
Lyndsey

Monday, July 9, 2012

Weight Loss Journey Update

So, I've been on the Weight Watchers plan for a week and a half so far.  I weighed in this morning and I've lost 5 pound so far and I've lost an inch from my arms, thighs, waist, hips and 2 inches from my bust!  I'm so happy about all of this!  The best part is how I've been FEELING since I started this journey.  The only one I can give credit to is God for giving me the strength and determination to stick with this and achieve my goals. 

He's given me the drive I need for sure!  I made the decision to start doing this and I have found it pretty easy to stick to.  I'm not saying it's been effortless.  There have been times when I really just want a snack and after waiting for as long as I can, I break down and have a small snack even if I am going over my points target for the day.  The good thing is that I haven't once touched my activity points .  Only the weekly flex points they give me to use.  I still had 30 of those left at the end of the week out of 45.  I also earned about 40 activity points throughout the week.  I'm finding a lot of different ways to earn activity points.  I love that housework counts!  I do a lot of that so I can earn points just doing what I normally do and then I get more when I actually specifically exercise.  I got a bunch of points for going for a long walk with my husband and kids last night.  I walked fast the whole time and half of the time I pulled the wagon with at least Xander in it and part of the time I had both him and Daniel in it. 

I'm feeling more confident and better about myself. I have been feeling pretty down for a long time about how I looked and felt.  It was hard to look in the mirror.  I really didn't like what I saw.  My stretched out belly from having 3 big babies doesn't help.  I'm really targeting that area hard because I want to be able to wear whatever I want like I used to be able to when Chris and I first met.  I used to be a size 2.  Right now, I'm between a 16 and a 14.  I'm not proud of this one bit.  I can't believe I let it get that bad. 

I do have a struggle with stress eating.  Yesterday I slipped up and snacked a lot because I was having a bad day.  I was mad at myself even more for that which only made it worse.  I had a tough morning trying out something new.  It didn't go as I thought it would.  I had a challenge that made me really upset. I won't go into what that was but I will say it was tough.  I also had a harder time because I couldn't talk to my mom about it and we are super close.  She was on a plane to Italy with my dad.  It's hard not getting to talk to her.  We talk almost every day normally.

So, today, I'm back on it and I'm planning to do my new pilates DVD. Or I might pull out the Wii fit and do some yoga or step aerobics.  I like having variation to my work outs and ways to fit it in throughout the day around my chores and taking care of my kids.

My kids are the main reason I'm doing all of this.  I want to be healthier and stronger so I'm not tired and wanting to just sit on my butt watching them play.  I want to play WITH them and enjoy it.  I also don't want them to be embarrassed because their mom is fat or ask me why I have a big belly any more.  I also want to be sexy for my husband again and for me.  I want to feel pretty and sexy again. I'm really looking forward to that and I already feel better with only 5 pounds lost.  I still have a long way to go but I'm half way to my first goal of 10 pounds lost so that is awesome!

If you're in a similar situation where you're struggling with your weight and how you feel about yourself,  Weight Watchers is a great plan for anyone. It's easy to keep up with and very flexible.  I started right around the July 4 holiday which was hard. The food offerings at the party we went to was hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken legs with chips and watermelon.  Moderation was HUGE for me.  I also made some flag cupcakes because we had the mix and it was great place to use those up (or so I thought).  We ended up bringing most of them back home and they've been calling to me - "Eat me! I'm so yummy!"  I gave in a couple of times.  I want them to get eaten and not wasted. My kids would rather eat cookies.  HA!  Oh well. There are only 2 of those tempting little cupcakes left. 

My best advice is to ask GOD to help you and TRUST in HIM.  This was really very hard for me to really place my trust in HIM.  I did that after discussing it and praying about it with my bible study group.  It's working!  I'm enjoying working out and loving feeling the burn from exercise!  I don't mind at all being sore from working out.  I hated feeling sore from doing nothing.  That is going away so I am THRILLED!!!!!!   God is working in me and my life is getting so much better for it! 

May God bless you on your journey - whatever it might be! 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

My Weight Loss Journey Begins!

So, after a long time of feeling pretty upset about my body and how I looked, I have finally decided to do something about it for real.  I signed up for Weight Watchers Points Plus Online.  Yesterday was my first day on it. Tuesday was our anniversary so we went out to dinner at the Melting Pot. For those of you who don't know what the Melting Pot is - its a Fondu restaurant.  It was delicious but there was SO MUCH food and we had drinks too. I knew starting on Tuesday was a bad idea. Ha! So, this is day 2.  I'm doing well so far.  I've been making sure to get work outs in and I've been better today than I was yesterday as far as my points used.  I was just down right hungry yesterday!  Today, I did much better so far.  I still have 14 points left for the day which means I SHOULD be able to have a dessert of some kind tonight and stay within my points!  Whoo hoo!

I think this time around will be different for me.  I REALLY want this and I'm really feeling motivated.  I mostly want to get in shape and be healthy.  I don't want my boys to have an overweight and unhealthy mom.  I want to be able to run around with them outside and keep up and not feel winded right away.  I'm done making excuses because of injuries and my thyroid disease.  Yes, thyroid disease will probably make it harder for me to lose weight... hopefully not too much harder!  I'm at a point where this is a great time to do this.  It's summer vacation so I don't have to get up with the alarm and rush around to get the kids off to school.  I have time to work out, get sweaty and THEN shower.  So today, I did 10 minutes on my elliptical (I'm going to work toward more time), 10 minutes of squats and 10 minutes of crunches.  Then I took the kids to Target and was speed walking through the store while pushing the cart as it got fuller and fuller.  So, I got a decent amount of activity points for the day.  I'm feeling the burn in my legs and abs which is awesome.  I could possibly get addicted to that feeling!

I've set a small goal.  I'm working toward losing 10 pounds first and I'm probably going to go for 10 pounds, each time until I'm done.  The total weight loss goal is 65 pounds.  That number is really daunting so I'm keeping it to smaller goals to feel more attainable and I'll feel like I'm accomplishing more.  This works well for me with doing chores too.  I make a very LONG list of chores but that's because I break each chore down into steps so I can keep checking things off.  It keeps me motivated.

So, prayers would be LOVED and ADORED and APPRECIATED greatly that I can do this.  I've prayed about it hard and I believe that God is going to get me through this.  I'm puttig my will power in His hands and I believe He will pull me through!  With God, all things are possible!!!!!  I'll post with an update soon - I loved that this morning, I already felt a bit lighter. :0)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hand Stamped Tile Coasters


So, I recently discovered that you can use rubber stamps on tiles to make really beautiful and unique coasters! I decided I would try this out to make a cool and unique gift for Daniel's preschool teachers as a thank you gift. I made 2 sets. I posted pictures of them on Facebook and got a great response. I can't take the credit for this idea at all. It's not mine at all. I saw several videos and tutorials on how to do it on YouTube. Here is one that I watched:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SCgjr4o_4U It seems to be the easiest way to go. There's no heat setting or spray fixatives needed. Here is the set I made for Daniel's main teacher, Mrs. Sweet:


All of the stamps I used are from Stampin' Up!  Some of them are still available but some are discontinued.  I used the following stamp(s) sets:  Inspired by Nature, Medallion, Wonderful Favorites, Family Reunion, French Flair, Damask, Baroque Motifs, and Elements of Style.  I had a really good time playing around with this and I'll be honest - I had a few that came out looking TERRIBLE! 





The best thing about this is how easy this is really to do.  I bought the tiles at Lowe's but you can get them at any big home improvement store.  They are tumbled MARBLE.  If you want to make these yourself, don't get the tumbled TRAVERTINE as they are far too smooth and won't accept the ink well at all.  I made this mistake myself and it looked awful.  They are quite affordable to buy at  about $4 for a box of 9. 

The inks I used were mostly StazOn inks.  I would have used all StazOn because that was what was recommended in that video I shared above but the variety of colors available at my local Michael's store was limited and seemed like someone had been there and bought a lot of the colors out.  I supplemented with a few by Color Box that were PERMANENT inks.  I also tested the color fastness on the back of a tile before using it.  The purple color and the khaki green color are both by Color Box.  The black, red, blue, and brown are by StazOn. 


When they were all stamped and I liked my collection of coasters, I added some felt tab feet to the bottoms of them to keep them from scratching the tables they sat on.  You get several to a package and they are also available at Lowe's and Home Depot.  



I then, used some of my Stampin' Up! striped grosgrain ribbon (discontinued) to tie them up and make a gift package.  They were a hit with the teachers and the other moms at preschool. :)  They are a fun gift to make or for your own home.  I did make some for myself too.  I'll keep experimenting and I'll share more photos when I have more.  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sympathy Cards

A few weeks ago, my dear friends' grandma passed away. She was a sweet woman was loved by many. I created a couple of sympathy cards to give to my friends. Here they are:


This card I made my friends - Mike and Leah.  I saw a card similar to this one on www.splitcoaststampers.com  made by Mary Fish - a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Her care was more square and used different papers and few a different embellishments but I found it so striking that I had to try my hand at making my own version.  I used Crumb Cake card stock for the base, Whisper White as the main layer.  Other card stock used was Pool Party and Pumpkin Pie. I used the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper set to determine my color combinations.  For the die cut image in the back, I used the Top Note die for the Big Shot and cut the piece twice to create the new shape. The flower was made using the Build - a - Flower punch.  I also used the scallop circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch for punching out my sentiment on the front.  The sentiment comes from the Petite Pairs stamp set.  To make this card into an easel card which is why its stands up, I cut the card stock to  4 1/4" by 11".  I then scored it using my scoring board at 5 1/2" and 8" to creat the easel.  I then cut another piece of Crumb Cake card stock at 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" to make the front of the card.  To keep it standing up, I created a stopper band with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch and to keep from showing any adhesives on the card, I folded it behind my white layer and glued it down to the back of the white card stock.   The ribbon on the card is 5/8" whisper white satin ribbon.  I also used 2 brads to decorate the card - both from the Everyday Enchantment set.  The ink I used was Soft Suede Classic Ink.  I also used my bone folder to curl the petals on the flower up.

I chose to show it to you at different angles so you can see how it's made.  Below is a straight front view.

This card above was one that I created for a gift set.  I loved it so I made another one for this occasion.  It's also not the easiest card to get made.  It caused me some grief trying to line up the dies in the right places and keeping the card stock from shifting.  I learned that I needed to use some kind of repositionable adhesive.  I ended up using post it's to keep my edgelit dies in place and the card stock when cutting the large flower.  So the main card is made of Pool Party card stock cut at 4 1/4" by 11" and scored at 5 1/2".  The patterned paper is also from the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper pack and it is cut at 4 1/8" by 5 3/8".  I then used the scalloped edgelits die to create the cut edge at the bottom and then used the adorning accents embossing folder that coordinated with it to make the embossed image directly above it.  The large flower is from the Fun Flowers Bigz die.  I cut it off the edge and then popped the whole layer up on dimensionals after stamping my greeting from the Petite Pairs stamp set and tying my Soft Suede polka dot ribbon around it.  I used the back side of the ribbon because I didn't want the polka dots for this card.  To create the center of the flower, I cut a 1 3/8" circle with the Pool Party card stock, a 1 1/4" circle in the Everyday Enchantment DSP and then I used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch with an Everyday Enchantment designer brad in the center.  I love how this one turned out :)  Thanks for checking my projects out!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Sleep, Precious Sleep!

I know that every mom complains for their lack of sleep.  As a mom of 3 boys, I am one of them.  I have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now.  That's a LONG time.  I am awakened each and every night to tend to Xander.  He has not slept through the night once since he was born... until last night!  He slept in his crib until 6:30!  That's a full night!  I would love it if he'd go to 7:00am but 6:30 is great. 

I know most people will scoff at this but as a mom of a child that is going to be a year old in just a few days and FINALLY slept through the night for the first time, I'm rejoicing right now!!! He even came in bed with me and went back to sleep until after 8:00am! If I get to sleep until 8:00, it's a miracle.

This whole sleep situation with Xander has been a sore spot for us for a while.  I never intended for him to become addicted to sleeping with me.  I just brought him in bed with us so that I could get enough sleep to function and take care of all 3 kids all day.  I kept justifying it and putting off making the transition.  We are doing it and he's acclimating surprisingly well and quickly.  It's only been a week or so and each night, he seems to be doing better.  He woke up earlier twice but he only had 1 bad night ( of course the night we had to "Spring Ahead!" for Daylight Savings Time and I had to get up for church at 6:45 which was like 5:45 on my body.  Oh well.  It turned out ok.  I got a nap that day and spent some one on one quality time with Daniel which was so nice.  :)

I'm probably rambling on.  I know I'm not the best writer but I like to share and also keep a record of our lives.

My prayer for this week is that I can get it all done.   There is so much to do before Saturday, I'm a bit overwhelmed.  I have made a list and a schedule for when I'm going to do everything but that doesn't mean it will all get done.  Yesterday, I got all of our clothes washed, did dishes, made dinner, ran Daniel to and from school, addressed and put the invitations in the mailbox, took out the trash, cleaned the litter box out, and did all of the regular stuff on top of giving the boys a bath by myself and straightening the whole main floor over and over. 

Today, I'm washing the bedding for all of our beds, and towels, straightening in the basement (and upstairs), making a card for my Mother-in-Law's birthday.  The basement is a BIG job.  There are toys and mess EVERYWHERE!  Tomorrow will by my running around day and getting errands done - finishing shopping for Xander's presents, getting food ordered, the cake ordered, and getting stuff for the goody bags. The fun never ends!  Haha

Lord, I pray that you give me the energy and time I need to fit it all in and the patience I need to care for the kids on my own for 2 more days.  I pray for my friend Kari who needs comfort and support in her health crisis, my friend Leah who lost a friend this week to cancer, my friend Eileen who suffers with depression, and safe travel for Chris while he's on his business trip.  I ask that you bless my mom-in-law Jocelyn on her birthday today and that she know how loved and special she is.  Also watch over their travel this weekend as they come to see us.  Please be with Jason and Julie as they mourn the loss of Jason's dad and struggle with not knowing if he knew You and believed in You.  Also be with Diane and her family as they mourn her aunt.  I lift all of these people up and trust in You that you will be with them and carry them through.  I also ask that you continue to grow my faith and my relationship with You and help me to be an example to those that I know and love that I might inspire them to open their hearts to You and let you in.  Amen.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Daniel's Immunization Debacle

So, Tuesday, I took all 3 boys in for well-child visits to see how much they weigh, how tall they are and if they needed any shots.  Well, Xander and Daniel did need shots.  Xander got 4 and Daniel had to get 2.  Poor Xander didn't know what was coming and was crying pretty hard but was able to be comforted pretty easily.  Thank GOD my mom came with us.  I would not have able to handle all of it on my own.

Daniel knew what was coming and so he was hiding under the chair in the room.  I had to pick the chair up and move it across the room to get him out from under it.  Then he wrestled with me really hard to get his pants down so they could give him his shots.  He had the last rounds of DTaP and Polio vaccines - 1 in each leg.  The doctor had a little bit of difficulty with his shot because Daniel wiggled a bit and the needle's plunger had a problem.  After he got the shots, he, of course, cried but he was back to himself pretty quickly.  When the doctor told him he was all done with his shots till he was 11, he was really happy.  No more shots for 6 years is good news!

Fast forward to Thursday morning.  We are up and getting ready to go to open gymnastics for the kids to play with our friends.  Daniel is itching himself- down there- so I asked him if he needed to go potty.  He said no, his leg was itchy.  So, I asked him if it was where he had his shot and he said yeah.  So, I had him pull his pants down and a huge red blotch ( the size of my fist) was there.  It was swollen and hard and hot to the touch and if I pushed on it, it hurt him.  I immediately called the doctor's office to see if we needed to bring him in or if I needed to worry about it.  I took 3 1/2 hours for the doctor to call me back.  When he did, he asked me to bring him in. 

After the doctor looked at his leg, he asked some questions and said he didn't think it could be an allergic reaction because he had already had the same shots 3 or 4 times before and had no reaction.  So, we believed it was an infection.  The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic for him and told me to give him some Benadryl too just for good measure.  So, we did.  Last night during their bath, I looked at Daniel's leg again and it really looked weird to me.  The spot looked like it had gotten larger and grown down his leg and it was changing to a purplish color.  So, I called the doctor's after hours line and waited for a call back.  That doctor told me to take Daniel to the ER and that he probably needed IV antibiotics.  "Great." I thought.  "He's going to HATE this." 

So, I called my mom and she came over to stay with the younger 2 kids ( Nathan was in bed already and Xander was about to go to sleep).  We got up to the hospital around 9:45pm.  We didn't have to wait too long - a decent wait but not terrible.  We brought the DS so Daniel could play games and our Kindles so we could read if we had to be there for a long time.  Once we got to the bed, the doctor was there within minutes and took a look and of course asked more questions.  He and another doctor he called over to look at it, determined that since Daniel was jumping around and not having trouble with it, it was probably just bruised under the surface.  He drew a line around Daniel's spot with a black permanent marker and told us that if it grows anymore to bring him back.  So, praise GOD, he didn't need an IV or anymore shots.  He was quite brave for a 5 year old having to go to the hospital and I'm very proud of how well he did. 

That was not fun but I do believe that all of the prayers he received from all of our wonderful friends and family, made a big difference.  Thanks to all of you who prayed and most of all, thank you, Lord for my son and for him being ok. 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Photos from our Disney Trip








Wow! It's Been a While!

So, I haven't written in quite a while.  I got pretty busy and honestly, a bit uninspired to keep this up.  I'm going to try to get back into it.  I'm going to be posting about various things.  Of course, my kids will be #1 on my list of things to blog about but also I'll be posting about my crafting and my new interest: COOKING! 

I never thought I'd like cooking but I'm growing quite fond of trying out new recipes on my family.  I think Chris is really enjoying it too because he doesn't have to cook most of the time - unless he wants to.  The catalyst was getting my cousin Vicki's cookbook in the mail.  She is a mom and loves to cook so she put together a book full of her favorite recipes and offered it to us to purchase for only $10.  So worth it!  I spent a couple of weeks trying out some of her recipes.  All of them were good!  Some were better received than others but Chris and I liked all of them.  The boys are harder to please.  Xander, however, LOVES to eat whatever we are eating and eats like a champ - for now.   From Vicki's cookbook I made her Chicken Rollatini, Chicken Marsala, Stuffed Eggplant, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops, Shepherd's Pie, Turkey Noodle Bake, Gnocchi with Zucchini & Tomatoes and others.  I'd have to ask Vicki for her permission before I could share her recipes on my blog.  I'm not sure if she'd go for that - since I think she wants to sell more books.  Who wouldn't, right?

Tonight, I made Oven Baked Fish 'n' Chips (a recipe from my Taste of Home Cookbook).  It came out great and since I got Daniel to help me cook, he WANTED to eat it (that's the biggest thing) and then LOVED it and asked if we could have it again.  He also had seconds - which he never does unless it's pizza.  He's been on an "I don't like it.  I'm not going to eat it." kick.  It has been quite frustrating.  Tonight,  I think we may have turned a small corner.  Not only did he help me cook, but when I told him I needed to take a break from cutting the potatoes into fries because my shoulder was hurting, he rubbed it for me.  How sweet is that?  I love my Daniel.  He can be so sweet when he wants to be. 

Speaking of Daniel:  We had a little bit of  a health scare with him today.  I took the boys in to have their "well child" check ups including any vaccinations they needed.  Only Nathan escaped unscathed.  Poor Daniel had to get 2 shots and Xander had to get 4!  Fortunately for Xander, he won't remember it and probably forgot already. Daniel was scared to death and hid under the chair in the exam room.  After I moved the chair off of him, he wrestled with me to get his pants down so they could do his shots.  They did them both at the same time so he'd only go through it once.  Poor guy has what seems to be an infection now where he had one of them.  His leg has a BIG red swollen spot.  It's hot to the touch, was itchy for him and hurt him if anyone touched it.  I called the doctor when I found the spot this morning.  They called me back 3 1/2 hours later and asked me to bring him up to the office.  Doctor said it's probably not a reaction to the shot itself because he'd had that shot 4 other times (this was his last dose) and never had a reaction before.  Probably got some bacteria in it and it got infected.  So, he's on an antibiotic and some Benadryl just to be on the safe side.  Hopefully, it clears up in a day or 2. 

Xander achieved a long-awaited milestone today!  He finally learned how to get down the step down into our family room!  He's been crawling for months, cruising the furniture for quite a while and when distracted can stand up on his own.  We are looking forward to his first steps... hopefully coming soon!  He's a really good baby although he's been a bit spoiled.  We have been holding him for his naps because he wouldn't let us put him down and stay asleep and has yet to have fallen asleep entirely on his own.  We are working on this.  He was sleeping in our bedroom until this past Monday.  We bit the bullet and put him in his crib at night.  He has slept in there 3 nights so far and tonight will be his 4th.  The pack'n'play came down on Monday.  We are not going back to that.  He is doing better with sleeping longer into the night before waking and wanting to nurse.  I'm hoping we are just about done with that.  He only nurses at night now and gets 1 bottle of formula in the evening before bed.  He mostly eats solid foods and is drinking whole milk now.  He also likes water.  He still needs some training with sippy cups though.  He does great with the one with a straw but we only have 1 cup like that. 

I'm ready for sleep again.  I really have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now.  I miss it SO MUCH!  I have come to the realization that XanderHaha. 

All in all in closing for today's post: I love being a mommy to my 3 little munchkins.  They are my heart.  They drive me crazy all the time and make my house a constant mess but I can't imagine not having them in my life anymore.  They are forever going to be a part of me - the best part.  I also need to give credit to my wonderful hubby Chris.  He's absolutely my partner and the best daddy I could ever ask for to our kids. 

Have a blessed day or night and thanks for reading!!!