It was brought to my attention by one of my grandma's that I haven't updated in a while. Ooops!
I feel so busy lately and so tired at the end of the day!
Henry's Medical update- Henry went last Monday for his 1 year check up. I ended up taking Carson with me, Emilynn was with my sisters-Madison and Alyssa for the day. Carson and I got up and took our time getting ready and headed out to the "city" to run a few errands. We got Meme's birthday gift-a spa gift card first. I sure hope she appreciates what it took to unload those boys and go in there! Haha! Carson wasn't having any parts of it. I guess he was afraid he would have to get a haircut because he would not go past the front door.
We also went to the consignment shop, I was specifically looking for a dance leotard for Emmy. We didn't find that but did rack up on some other items- some stretchy jean shorts for Em for summer, rainboots for Carson, and I let him get a Bob the Builder DVD. That was a hit! I love the consignment store-it has a great selection and is so organized. Anyway, we then ate lunch that I had packed for us and headed to Target and Kohls.
It was so nice to spend one on one time with Carson. I love spending one on one time with the kids. Well, we had Henry too.
Henry's appointment was good. They listened and heard he was still wheezing a little, but not enough for breathing treatments-yay. He weighed 22 lbs. and was 28.7 inches long. He is only 15th percentile for his height-he is a shorty! He really does have the shortest little legs. He's normal for weight at 50th. I don't hold too much faith in those percentiles and such, but it is nice to compare I guess. We were debating on getting his shots and going over the pros and cons- a reason I love our nurse practitioner that we see. He always values my opinion as well. Our other pediatrician we saw when the twins were first born, well, she was a bit bossy I guess is the nicest way to put it. I liked her until the twins were about 2, then I think we outgrew her. This particular nurse practitioner told me at the visit that he was leaving! I was so sad. He's going to orthopedics, so it's not like we can move with him, bummer! I told him I didn't think we'd need orthopedics, and at that very moment Carson pulled and twisted Henry's leg.....I had to retract that statement! We may see him again one day after all. I think I will use the other nurse practitioner I like in the practice from here on out, or we may check out the new one that's replacing him. Anyway, after he checked Henry out, we decided against the shots because he had an ear infection in one ear and fluid in the other! Poor guy! Today is the last day of his antibiotics to clear that up. Today, we also go to get those shots. Emilynn is going with me today, Carson has gone to help Papa on the farm.
We are also getting Henry's haircut for the first time today. Makes me sad!!! His hair is sprouting out all around his helmet though, so it's time. Gone will be his baby look. Sniff, sniff...
Henry's helmet appt- On Wednesday of last week, Emilynn and I took Henry to his plagiocephaly check up. His numbers were changing, so he is still improving. These appointments are not really all that "medical", they are mostly the measurements, and then we talk about what's working and what's not. They want to know any wear patterns I'm noticing, like if his head is red in a certain area when we take the helmet off. They make some adjustments and send us on our way. It took a bit longer this appointment. Emilynn was content playing a pre-school app on my Kindle Fire. Thank goodness for that!! I feel like his helmet is back to falling over his right eye again, I don't know if I'm happy with the fit this time. We may go back earlier than the month check up. We'll see.
After the appointment, we had a treat-Emilynn, Henry, and I went and ate Mexican! Yep, my first time taking them by myself. I don't know if I'll do all 3 alone anytime soon, but two was very doable. I just didn't think I could handle a drive-thru and I had not planned ahead well and packed anything. Henry needed to be fed anyway, and I didn't want to do that in the car again-twice in one week! It was really nice. We then headed to another consignment store to look for rainboots for Emmy and the dance leotard. I found the dance leotard but no boots. :-( We instead headed to Kohl's and found a pair there on sale and I had a 30% coupon. Still, it pained my heart to pay retail for boots. I never buy stuff retail usually!!! Plus I know how my kids are with shoes. Her last pair of boots were pink cowgirls boots she got in November and they are in pieces now.
Anyway, these rainboots are adorable. I love the way they can dress themselves with boots!!
I also got a few summer things for Emilynn because I didn't want stuff to be picked over. I already knew what was at consignment, so I felt okay getting her a couple of things. She is now set for summer. She's at a weird stage because she is only 3 but needs 5 or 6 clothes, and some look just too old for her. I refuse to let her wear some things. So, there was a small rack of jumping beans matching sets, which I love on her, and we got some of those. They are elastic-a must. I also got the boys one matching outfit- I love when they match which is rare!
Anyway, I got two seperate days out with my two big kids. It was really nice!!! I think individuality is so important.
As for our circus experience-it was great overall! We left Sat. at 2:30 (even though we were going to the 7 pm show!). We met the family at 3:30 for an early dinner at Texas Roadhouse, my new favorite restaurant! We've had a gift card since Christmas and used it once already but we still had enough for dinner. It was a nice treat for everyone. The service was awesome and the food was great. Everyone behaved and ate well. A success overall! We then headed to the circus. It was good we left early, because traffic is always backed up when you get close. We finally parked and got inside after getting all our stuff together. You should have seen my backpack for the event. I had it packed to the brim. The poor man checking it just peeked in and said to go on. You can't leave and get back in, so I packed for every scenario I could imagine!!! Our seats were good and the show was great. The kids all were very content for the show, I wasn't sure how that would go but it was nice. I think Henry was done towards the end, but the others were fine. We have never done a movie or anything, so I had no idea how they'd do. It was so much going on that they were mesmerized. Emilynn's favorite part was the elephants and the "pink cars" which rode around the ring. Carson's was "nothing", but it was really the elephants. He always says nothing.
The part that annoyed me was the commercialism of it all. It's not enough they get $29 or more per seat, but then they bombard you with "stuff". Before we even sat down, a man came up to use in our row and asked if we wanted these light up swords. I told him no, not right then. My sister (it's all her fault! Just kidding!) got Hunter a snow cone. Of course my kids wanted one, so we got those. That was pricey ($10 each) but I conceded on those. I will not get them again because they were a mess! We kept getting ice everywhere. Emmy almost spilled hers on the man in front of us, so I decided never again on those. We'll do popcorn instead (at only $8). The souvenirs I took for them were a hit, however, they did not compare with these plastic spinny, light up things. The girl in front of us had one and Emilynn wanted one so bad. She ducked her head down and was devastated when I told her we weren't getting one right then. Amanda and I decided to go see what they had at the actual souvenir stand. Carson and Hunter went too, and Hunter wanted a sword. I decided to just let them get something because it truly wasn't fair that everyone had those things and they did not. I'm not that type of mom to worry about fair, but I wasn't prepared for how badly they push those things on you. The people literally walk right up to you again and again asking you to buy these things for your kids. So, we got two spinny things- a boy one and the pink one for Em. I will say she loves it and she held it up the rest of the circus in the air (kind of like a lighter at a concert). It really disappointed how overpriced and pushy they were about the stuff. I had looked online, but the spinners weren't on there. They only showed stuff animals and t-shirts, which I knew my kids wouldn't have to have. They just aren't stuff animal type kids.
So, YES, I caved and got the overpriced junk! Dustin later said, "Oh, I was going to get her one, but I couldn't flag the guy down!". He's more of a sucker than I am when it comes to stuff like that. They probably weren't bomarding his end of the row because all of the kids were in my lap basically! It was 15 of us, and we really did enjoy the show. I will definitely go back next year. I will plan better though, meaning- budget more for spending money there. I luckily had my vacation envelope (we do the Dave Ramsey system) with me just in case. It took quite the hit thanks to Ringling Brothers!
I will also put those special spinney things up to save for next year as soon as they lose their charm- which is any day now! Don't think they won't be in my backpack next year as we go in!
Lastly, they welcome comments and want you to be 100 % satisfied (or so it says on the special clown mug the snowcone came in), so I will be emailing them about my disappointment in the prices of stuff. They could have easily charged half the price for everything and still made a fortune.
Oh, cause I forgot to mention the price of the spinney things- $22 a piece! Yep, that's not a typo.
Anyway, enough of my ranting about the circus. The kids loved it and talk about it everyday. I am happy we all had a good time and it's definitely something our whole family can do and enjoy.
I'm off to get packed up for a somewhat long day. We are heading to Henry's appointment, haircut, then by to see Dustin's grandma at the nursing home (I hope to take her some soup from Panera if the kids are cooperating), and then to dance class before heading home. Long days like this wear me out. Dinner is in the crockpot though and I have all day home tomorrow to recover!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
What we've been up to today.........
We've been waiting on a call for days. Finally, this morning Papa called about 8:30. Then he called again about 9:30 and I ran out the door with all 3 kids in tow. We found a good parking spot at Dustin's uncle's storage shed. Then we waited. And we waited. Still, more waiting. Then we saw this:
A train coming!!!
But not just any train....
The circus train!!!!!
The kids were so excited to see it (I might have been a touch excited too!).
They were hauling all sorts of interesting things....
including the tractor below and school bus, much to the kids' excitement!
They love tractors and buses!
The kids were a bit disappointed that they didn't see elephants, monkeys, and tigers. I told them since it was raining so hard they were inside.
Circus-here we come!!!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Date Day!
After a very busy, hectic, tiring week, Dustin and I got a date "day" yesterday. We woke up and began cleaning and I decided to text my mom and see if she could watch the kids for us to grab a bite to eat. She agreed if we weren't gone too long, so I surprised Dustin with that news! He was excited, as was I. We just needed a little break and time to reconnect. It has always been hard for us to find babysitters, so date nights have never happened much around here. My mom volunteered to give us a day out last month, and then we went yesterday. We decided we were going to make it a once a month event if at all possible!
We left with it snowing-so pretty. It snowed most of the day, but nothing sticking. We had a late lunch, early supper at Applebee's. It is so nice to eat without anyone on your lap or putting their hands in your food! :-)
We also took a leisurely stroll through Walmart. Boy do we know how to live it up! Haha! You know how you stroll through just buying random things here and there that you need but never think of because there are 14 cases of diapers in your cart. Kidding, I've never bought QUITE that many diapers at once. I asked if anyone needed anything before we left. Carson requested popsicles. Emilynn requested a lollipop & toothpaste (she did need toothpaste.) I got all of those things, plus a few birthday and baby shower gifts for events coming up. My favorite find was some plastic elephants and tigers- for our circus trip. I was so happy. I told Dustin it was amazing we had been married so long, he didn't even bat an eye at my plan to "sneak" my own souvenirs into the circus. Yes, we are going to the circus as a family Saturday. 15 of us to be exact. I looked online at souvenirs because I felt like they were pricey. As I suspected, they were around $25 each for either a stuffed animal or shirt. Well, with 3 kids that's way too much (in my opinion anyway). I didn't want to get there and cave to kid pressure. I mean, have Dustin cave to kid pressure (he's more of a sucker than I am!). So, I spent $6 on 6 animals for the kids that are going. I try to stay one step ahead of these little guys around here! I read the website and it doesn't say you can't bring anything in like that. I will have a diaper bag anyway, so we'll see. If they won't allow it, no big deal. I tried! It's not like I'm setting up a table to sell the things. Yes, I can be over the top with frugality sometimes! Honestly though, since when do you have to have a souvenir as well as going? Isn't getting to go a privledge? I mean, it is $29 each. Just my opinion, I'll let you know how it goes. I just can't see dropping $75 on some stuffed toys that the kids will throw to the side once we get home. Call me cheap, but that is money I can put in our vacation fund for a meal out while at the beach or even tickets to the Monster Truck show I REALLY want to take Carson to.
So, should we take a poll to see if we come home with the overpriced souvenirs? I hope not, but we'll see how it all plays out.
Other random things we bought at Walmart- kites which the kids were excited about (they are $1.37 each if you want some cheap entertainment!), Draino for the bathroom, a quart of oil, a trailer brake light, 2 gifts for my nieces' upcoming birthdays, a baby shower gift of gas drops (aren't they essential to your well being in those early stages?) and bath stuff to go with the rest of the gift I already got, bullets for D (I have no idea what for), and other various odds and ends that I've already forgotten.
It was a nice, fairly cheap date that helped us feel refreshed and ready to handle parenting again.
I only wish I had put more priority on date nights or days a couple years ago!!!
I told my mom my goal of going once a month and she didn't oppose violently...so we'll see if we can make it happen.
Here's how our upcoming week looks:
Tonight- My grandparents' 30th wedding anniversary dinner at a very yummy restaurant. The twins and I are going, Dustin is keeping Henry at home due to his cough/cold. Emilynn is also going home with my Dad & step-mom and little sister for a sleepover (Meme, Poppy, and Aunt Alyssa). She's done this once before so I don't foresee any late night calls.
Monday- Henry's 1 year check up! I've finally accepted that my baby is 1. I may still be kicking and screaming about it, but it is hard to miss those baby times when he smiles at me as he's saying a new word or taking a little step. I can only look forward to his big boy adventures to come!
Carson and I are taking him to this and running a couple quick errands-Target for diapers, a birthday stop for Meme's upcoming birthday, and then to pick Emmy up from my Dad's.
Tuesday- Milk day, a day late.
Wednesday- Henry's helmet plagiocephaly check up at 10:45. I have no idea what I'm doing with the twins yet, maybe seeing if they can play with Morgan & Dylan while I'm gone, that worked out really well last time.
Thursday- dance class
Friday- nothing but Daddy is off! Yay! I may try to squeeze a haircut in somewhere. We'll see. The car needs an oil change so maybe I can take a little time to do those things and work in a lunch with my sister.
Saturday- Circus at 7 pm! The kids are so excited!!! They've been asking every time we go somewhere if we are going to the circus. Emilynn does this circus routine- she says "Ladies and gentlemen, boys & girls....." and does her little hands out like she's talking to the crowd. It's cute.
Another busy week ahead! But everyone here seems to be on the mend and I have no major parties or entertaining going on, so I'll enjoy getting back to normal around here. Whatever "normal" is to us!
We left with it snowing-so pretty. It snowed most of the day, but nothing sticking. We had a late lunch, early supper at Applebee's. It is so nice to eat without anyone on your lap or putting their hands in your food! :-)
We also took a leisurely stroll through Walmart. Boy do we know how to live it up! Haha! You know how you stroll through just buying random things here and there that you need but never think of because there are 14 cases of diapers in your cart. Kidding, I've never bought QUITE that many diapers at once. I asked if anyone needed anything before we left. Carson requested popsicles. Emilynn requested a lollipop & toothpaste (she did need toothpaste.) I got all of those things, plus a few birthday and baby shower gifts for events coming up. My favorite find was some plastic elephants and tigers- for our circus trip. I was so happy. I told Dustin it was amazing we had been married so long, he didn't even bat an eye at my plan to "sneak" my own souvenirs into the circus. Yes, we are going to the circus as a family Saturday. 15 of us to be exact. I looked online at souvenirs because I felt like they were pricey. As I suspected, they were around $25 each for either a stuffed animal or shirt. Well, with 3 kids that's way too much (in my opinion anyway). I didn't want to get there and cave to kid pressure. I mean, have Dustin cave to kid pressure (he's more of a sucker than I am!). So, I spent $6 on 6 animals for the kids that are going. I try to stay one step ahead of these little guys around here! I read the website and it doesn't say you can't bring anything in like that. I will have a diaper bag anyway, so we'll see. If they won't allow it, no big deal. I tried! It's not like I'm setting up a table to sell the things. Yes, I can be over the top with frugality sometimes! Honestly though, since when do you have to have a souvenir as well as going? Isn't getting to go a privledge? I mean, it is $29 each. Just my opinion, I'll let you know how it goes. I just can't see dropping $75 on some stuffed toys that the kids will throw to the side once we get home. Call me cheap, but that is money I can put in our vacation fund for a meal out while at the beach or even tickets to the Monster Truck show I REALLY want to take Carson to.
So, should we take a poll to see if we come home with the overpriced souvenirs? I hope not, but we'll see how it all plays out.
Other random things we bought at Walmart- kites which the kids were excited about (they are $1.37 each if you want some cheap entertainment!), Draino for the bathroom, a quart of oil, a trailer brake light, 2 gifts for my nieces' upcoming birthdays, a baby shower gift of gas drops (aren't they essential to your well being in those early stages?) and bath stuff to go with the rest of the gift I already got, bullets for D (I have no idea what for), and other various odds and ends that I've already forgotten.
It was a nice, fairly cheap date that helped us feel refreshed and ready to handle parenting again.
I only wish I had put more priority on date nights or days a couple years ago!!!
I told my mom my goal of going once a month and she didn't oppose violently...so we'll see if we can make it happen.
Here's how our upcoming week looks:
Tonight- My grandparents' 30th wedding anniversary dinner at a very yummy restaurant. The twins and I are going, Dustin is keeping Henry at home due to his cough/cold. Emilynn is also going home with my Dad & step-mom and little sister for a sleepover (Meme, Poppy, and Aunt Alyssa). She's done this once before so I don't foresee any late night calls.
Monday- Henry's 1 year check up! I've finally accepted that my baby is 1. I may still be kicking and screaming about it, but it is hard to miss those baby times when he smiles at me as he's saying a new word or taking a little step. I can only look forward to his big boy adventures to come!
Carson and I are taking him to this and running a couple quick errands-Target for diapers, a birthday stop for Meme's upcoming birthday, and then to pick Emmy up from my Dad's.
Tuesday- Milk day, a day late.
Wednesday- Henry's helmet plagiocephaly check up at 10:45. I have no idea what I'm doing with the twins yet, maybe seeing if they can play with Morgan & Dylan while I'm gone, that worked out really well last time.
Thursday- dance class
Friday- nothing but Daddy is off! Yay! I may try to squeeze a haircut in somewhere. We'll see. The car needs an oil change so maybe I can take a little time to do those things and work in a lunch with my sister.
Saturday- Circus at 7 pm! The kids are so excited!!! They've been asking every time we go somewhere if we are going to the circus. Emilynn does this circus routine- she says "Ladies and gentlemen, boys & girls....." and does her little hands out like she's talking to the crowd. It's cute.
Another busy week ahead! But everyone here seems to be on the mend and I have no major parties or entertaining going on, so I'll enjoy getting back to normal around here. Whatever "normal" is to us!
Friday, February 15, 2013
One crazy birthday week!
The end of the week has been a little crazy for us. Henry ended up getting sick for his birthday-pooey! The twins had been sick since the weekend with colds/coughs. I was behind on my birthday preparations because all they wanted was me to hold them and lay with them. I called on my mom Wednesday to come help me finish the b-day stuff. She came and when she got Henry up from nap, she noticed he was having trouble breathing. Well, it was labored and he was working pretty hard to breathe. We decided to immediately take him to get checked out. My mom and I headed for KidMed, which is an after-hours clinic you can go to if you don't want to fight the E.R. It was our first time there, and we loved it. They were thorough and very kind. Also, you didn't have all the waiting around like you do at the E.R. First of all, Henry had a temperature of 102.7 when we arrived! I had been checking him earlier in the day and he was okay, or would go up to 99, but never that high! They immediately gave him Motrin, and the nurse practitioner could hear him wheezing, so they also did a breathing treatment right away. He got 3 chest x-rays to check his lungs, 2 more breathing treatments, and a steroid shot. Poor guy. He was a trooper, but he did NOT like anything we were doing. They diagnosed him with bronciolitis and sent us home with a nebulizer for breathing treatments at home, and a steroid. They said he may not sleep Wed. night since he had just had steroids and the albuterol in the breathing treatment. You know our dream baby though-he slept just fine. Yesterday he was a bit better, so we decided to go ahead and have his little party since some people had weekend plans, I had most of the food made, and a couple of family members were going on trips for the weekend. Well, Henry did not get much of a nap yesterday, so he was not in the best mood for his party. Oh, and all our family had been around us sick, so no one was really worried about catching anything. He also tested negative for the flu, strep, and RSV-thankfully. His throat was really red though, which had made eating and drinking more difficult.
Back to the party- it was nice, just chaotic as all kids' parties tend to be. Carson was not feeling well either, he was VERY grumpy with a capital G! He did not get his afternoon nap on the couch that he's been taking and he was a mess.
Emilynn was fine, she went to dance class with Meme & Poppy before the party and ate her weight in candy during the party. She is something. She told Poppy on the way to dance to "slow dance and I mean it!". She also told them that the hand stamp at dance was "very important". It actually is, it means you behaved in class! She has had classes where she did not receive a stamp and was devastated. Maybe I need to implement the stamp system here at home! Haha! One more thing, Poppy said to her "guess what Emmy?". She got really excited and said, "You're having a baby!" Haha, we don't know where she comes up with this stuff. She's a mess.
So...as far as Henry's party goes- we had a good time overall. The food came together- we had heavy finger foods- ham biscuits, chicken salad, buffalo chicken dip, meatballs, chocolate chip cheese ball, a veggie tray, chips & dip, m&m's, corn dip & chips, and of course cake and ice cream. We were supposed to have fruit, but the edible arrangement was not done in time. Oh, and we had a Winnie the Pooh theme. The twins and Hunter have all had a Pooh 1st birthday. We had a lot leftover from their parties so it just made sense financially to do it again. The pinata was even still intact! I also used a lot of red, which worked for Valentine's Day. Henry got lots of nice gifts, but not an overwhelming amount like we have with the twins' party-thank goodness! I guess two kids means twice the amount. Henry got a ball pit, a really cool wagon to pull his toys around in (or ride in), pajamas and some clothes, a set of baby silverware with his initial engraved on them (the twins' also have these from my mom-a keepsake), a sorting barn, a car carrier truck, baby crayons and color books, a lawnmower, a piano activity mat, and several Melissa & Doug toys. I love Melissa & Doug toys-we have a lot of them and they hold up so well and are so well made! He also got some money for his savings account. He finished up with his smash cake, which he played in, but did not like the taste of!!
After that, he was done and we put him to bed even before the last guests left. He was exhausted!
Today he's better and we are having fun laying around playing with his stuff and cleaning up.
A memorable 1st birthday indeed!
Back to the party- it was nice, just chaotic as all kids' parties tend to be. Carson was not feeling well either, he was VERY grumpy with a capital G! He did not get his afternoon nap on the couch that he's been taking and he was a mess.
Emilynn was fine, she went to dance class with Meme & Poppy before the party and ate her weight in candy during the party. She is something. She told Poppy on the way to dance to "slow dance and I mean it!". She also told them that the hand stamp at dance was "very important". It actually is, it means you behaved in class! She has had classes where she did not receive a stamp and was devastated. Maybe I need to implement the stamp system here at home! Haha! One more thing, Poppy said to her "guess what Emmy?". She got really excited and said, "You're having a baby!" Haha, we don't know where she comes up with this stuff. She's a mess.
So...as far as Henry's party goes- we had a good time overall. The food came together- we had heavy finger foods- ham biscuits, chicken salad, buffalo chicken dip, meatballs, chocolate chip cheese ball, a veggie tray, chips & dip, m&m's, corn dip & chips, and of course cake and ice cream. We were supposed to have fruit, but the edible arrangement was not done in time. Oh, and we had a Winnie the Pooh theme. The twins and Hunter have all had a Pooh 1st birthday. We had a lot leftover from their parties so it just made sense financially to do it again. The pinata was even still intact! I also used a lot of red, which worked for Valentine's Day. Henry got lots of nice gifts, but not an overwhelming amount like we have with the twins' party-thank goodness! I guess two kids means twice the amount. Henry got a ball pit, a really cool wagon to pull his toys around in (or ride in), pajamas and some clothes, a set of baby silverware with his initial engraved on them (the twins' also have these from my mom-a keepsake), a sorting barn, a car carrier truck, baby crayons and color books, a lawnmower, a piano activity mat, and several Melissa & Doug toys. I love Melissa & Doug toys-we have a lot of them and they hold up so well and are so well made! He also got some money for his savings account. He finished up with his smash cake, which he played in, but did not like the taste of!!
After that, he was done and we put him to bed even before the last guests left. He was exhausted!
Today he's better and we are having fun laying around playing with his stuff and cleaning up.
A memorable 1st birthday indeed!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Happy 1st Birthday Henry!
Henry,
Happy Birthday, my sweet baby boy! I cannot believe you have been with us for a whole year now! Boy were we surprised when we learned you were on the way! I love surprises and you are the absolute best surprise of my life! God really has blessed us more than words can say with you and your brother and sister. Who knew a teeny baby added to an already busy household could bring such tremendous joy? I can probably count on my hand how many times you've cried or been unhappy. Everyone who meets you tells us how you are THE sweetest and happiest baby they've ever seen and it's so true. You love everyone and are truly a joy to be around with an infectious smile and laugh. It is an honor to be your mother and hear you call me "Momma" each day. This year has been a busy one, as you've jumped right in to our on-the-go lifestyle! You have been so many places this year- you had your very first Valentine's Day the day you were born! I can't think of a sweeter person to have a Valentine's birthday-because you are the sweetest little man! You also had your very first Easter, complete with two Easter egg hunts- one at church, one at "Big Nanny's" house. You have been to too many birthday parties to count. We also had a family trip to the zoo where you rode in the big boy jogging stroller with Cousin Dylan!
You went with Momma and some friends to the Melting Pot fondue restaurant and were a dream the whole time. You went to many a ball game with everyone and sometimes just with Momma. We saw all of your Aunts play ball and Cousin Hunter play soccer!
I have really enjoyed all of the one-on-one time you and I have enjoyed. It's been so different from your brother and sister. I've enjoyed being able to just enjoy YOU and give you so much individual attention. You have made many shopping trips with Momma and Aunt Brandy- you even went with us to a museum and were an angel, as always. We've gone to Bible study, Vacation Bible School, and church where you've been so loved by an amazing church family. I can't wait to see you grow up in Christ and learn his love for you, a love even bigger than Momma & Dada's love for you.
We celebrated your first Christmas and so many other firsts of many, many family holidays to come.
We've gone to dance class with Sissy a LOT, and I'm sure we'll sit through many more classes as the years roll by. You also rode the big tractor with Papa for your first time! You looked so cute riding in the "buddy seat". I have a feeling I have another little farm boy in you!
You have done so many more things this year, too many to mention, and some I'm forgetting until I check out the camera! I cannot wait to see what your second year will bring.
So, Happy Birthday sweet baby Henry! You will always be Mama's baby! As we celebrate your birthday today, I know you may not understand everything that is going on. I hope you will understand just a teeny, tiny bit of the huge amount of love everyone in our family, extended family, church family, and friends has for you. You are loved beyond measure and it is such an honor and blessing to be your mom.
Love,
Momma
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
All About Henry- Bringing Him Home!
-Introducing Henry to the twins' was a much anticipated event. I have to say...I got the slowest nurse on my last day at the hospital. I was SO ready to break out of there, Henry had been discharged, and my nurse was S-L-O-W. We waited like, two extra hours for her to get my papers straight. She was old-school and I guess took tons of time with each patient. Honestly, that's fine. But I was ready to GO! She finally came in my room and just looked at our faces, and she said, "You're waiting on me, aren't you?". We didn't say and word as she backed out of the room and FINALLY got my papers.
I was wheeled down to leave with Henry, which was nice because I didn't get that with the twins (long story-but we stayed at the hospital after we were discharged for an extra night with Emilynn, so I actually walked out that time). I wanted to be wheeled out and have my new baby in my lap!!! It was so sweet, another moment I had been waiting for.
The drive home was uneventful except my husband has a habit of being a slow driver. Like, block the left lane at times slow driver. Sigh.. I finally said, "Could you please speed it up so I can see my babies?" I had missed the twins so much and could not wait one more minute to see them. He sped up as requested, then when we arrived home we had to get the camera ready, I didn't want to miss any of the introductions! We were greeted with balloons on the mailbox and at the house with a sign stating Henry's arrival-courtesy of Aunt Amanda and Poppy (my dad). My family spoils us so much!
Here are a few pictures of us introducing Henry to his big brother and sister. I am slightly breaking my rule of no kids' face pics on here....BUT, don't all newborns look the same? To me they pretty much do. I assure you, Henry looks NOTHING like those pics now!!
I was wheeled down to leave with Henry, which was nice because I didn't get that with the twins (long story-but we stayed at the hospital after we were discharged for an extra night with Emilynn, so I actually walked out that time). I wanted to be wheeled out and have my new baby in my lap!!! It was so sweet, another moment I had been waiting for.
The drive home was uneventful except my husband has a habit of being a slow driver. Like, block the left lane at times slow driver. Sigh.. I finally said, "Could you please speed it up so I can see my babies?" I had missed the twins so much and could not wait one more minute to see them. He sped up as requested, then when we arrived home we had to get the camera ready, I didn't want to miss any of the introductions! We were greeted with balloons on the mailbox and at the house with a sign stating Henry's arrival-courtesy of Aunt Amanda and Poppy (my dad). My family spoils us so much!
Here are a few pictures of us introducing Henry to his big brother and sister. I am slightly breaking my rule of no kids' face pics on here....BUT, don't all newborns look the same? To me they pretty much do. I assure you, Henry looks NOTHING like those pics now!!
Headed home in the car- isn't that the most adorable hat? My granny made him two of those that he wore as a newborn. I loved them and will treasure them always. The blanket is one that Dustin's grandma made for the twins. He's wrapped in love! Literally!
What's in there Dad?
Just gazing at her brother.
Now Carson's checking him out too. There was lots of poking and prodding going on.
We probably spent 5 minutes just having them stare and poke at the baby. It was sweet because they loved him from the start. After we got him out, I had Henry laying on my chest in the chair. Carson crawled up there with me and layed his head on my chest too and just stared adoringly right at Henry's little face. It was the sweetest moment and one I'll never forget. The bond between brothers must be just as strong as the one sisters share.
And what was Henry's reaction to meeting the twins?????
EEEEEK!!!! Is this my family? :-)
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
All About Henry-What's in a name?
Oh Henry...where did we come up with Henry? We've had lots of people ask that, and honestly, people either love or hate the name.
I guess I should start by saying that we did not use any of the "extra names" we had picked out for the twins. Their naming process is a post for a whole different day!
When we found out we were expecting again (a huge surprise!), we began throwing around name ideas. We could not agree on anything. Honestly, with the twins we agreed immediately. I don't know why it was so hard this time.
Before we knew if it was a boy or girl, we were trying to come up with names for both. For a girl, I really liked Marleigh, Reagan, Rileigh (my niece's name now, but spelled Riley), Avery (but it's been used so much lately). Dustin really didn't have any girl names he liked. I settled on Reagan being my favorite, I could just see us calling her "Ray" for short and thought that was cute. We were going to go with Reagan Jane, Jane after my grandma.
Well, once we had our gender party and found out we were having a boy, we shifted to just looking at boy's names. We were so far off from each other's ideas. I liked Owen, Parker, and Cooper. Dustin liked Troy. We both vetoed all of those names. We did agree we wanted to use Paul as a middle name to honor Dustin's uncle, one of the kindest, giving, humble people we had ever met.
I remember going through name after name and not agreeing. We finally were just sitting there in the living room and were at a loss....and Henry popped in my head. I said, "I like Henry". Dustin immediately said "I like Henry too, let's name him Henry." It was truly as simple as that once we agreed on something. Henry Paul he would be! We decided not to tell the name because honestly, I knew we'd get feedback and I didn't want to hear it. Once it's his name, what can people say then?
The response to his name has been mixed, to be perfectly honest. I don't think my mom liked it. I think it's cute and it suits him. It is becoming more popular again. I think it's a good, strong name, yet still cute. Everyone at the hospital loved it.
Carson and Emilynn never questioned his name. From the beginning they call him Henry, as best they can. Carson has called him "Hemmy" from the start. Emilynn calls him " Baby Hengry". Meme calls him "poor Henry" due to all he puts up with having a two, now three year old brother and sister.
The funny thing about not telling his name in the beginning was, once we decorated the nursery, I put an "H" above his crib. Well, when someone would stop by, I'd run take the "H" down and throw it in the closet. Finally, I decided to just leave it up. My grandma and a few others stopped by and I'd say, "I finished the nursery." I usually got an "Oh really?" response but NO ONE asked to see it!
I was wanting someone to go in there and get a hint that his name started with an "H."
On the morning we went to deliver, my mom was asking couldn't we just tell her the name since she was not coming to the hospital. I told her about his initial over his bed and she ran to see it. She was perplexed to find an "H". She joked that maybe it was another "Hunter". She guessed "Hamilton", but nothing else. She was a bit off the mark! Haha!
Oh, and since we've named Henry, we found out that Dustin's great-grandfather was named Henry Thomas. There are a few distant Henry's on my dad's side too. So, Henry IS a family name, along with his middle name, Paul. I like family names and all of our children have family names somewhere in their names. It was funny because we went to Dustin's family reunion over the summer, and a great-aunt said, "Finally, someone named a child after grandpa!". Dustin and I got a kick out of that because it wasn't intentional at first...but we did!
So, there you have it, Henry Paul! Or as my grandpa calls him, "H.P." :-)
I guess I should start by saying that we did not use any of the "extra names" we had picked out for the twins. Their naming process is a post for a whole different day!
When we found out we were expecting again (a huge surprise!), we began throwing around name ideas. We could not agree on anything. Honestly, with the twins we agreed immediately. I don't know why it was so hard this time.
Before we knew if it was a boy or girl, we were trying to come up with names for both. For a girl, I really liked Marleigh, Reagan, Rileigh (my niece's name now, but spelled Riley), Avery (but it's been used so much lately). Dustin really didn't have any girl names he liked. I settled on Reagan being my favorite, I could just see us calling her "Ray" for short and thought that was cute. We were going to go with Reagan Jane, Jane after my grandma.
Well, once we had our gender party and found out we were having a boy, we shifted to just looking at boy's names. We were so far off from each other's ideas. I liked Owen, Parker, and Cooper. Dustin liked Troy. We both vetoed all of those names. We did agree we wanted to use Paul as a middle name to honor Dustin's uncle, one of the kindest, giving, humble people we had ever met.
I remember going through name after name and not agreeing. We finally were just sitting there in the living room and were at a loss....and Henry popped in my head. I said, "I like Henry". Dustin immediately said "I like Henry too, let's name him Henry." It was truly as simple as that once we agreed on something. Henry Paul he would be! We decided not to tell the name because honestly, I knew we'd get feedback and I didn't want to hear it. Once it's his name, what can people say then?
The response to his name has been mixed, to be perfectly honest. I don't think my mom liked it. I think it's cute and it suits him. It is becoming more popular again. I think it's a good, strong name, yet still cute. Everyone at the hospital loved it.
Carson and Emilynn never questioned his name. From the beginning they call him Henry, as best they can. Carson has called him "Hemmy" from the start. Emilynn calls him " Baby Hengry". Meme calls him "poor Henry" due to all he puts up with having a two, now three year old brother and sister.
The funny thing about not telling his name in the beginning was, once we decorated the nursery, I put an "H" above his crib. Well, when someone would stop by, I'd run take the "H" down and throw it in the closet. Finally, I decided to just leave it up. My grandma and a few others stopped by and I'd say, "I finished the nursery." I usually got an "Oh really?" response but NO ONE asked to see it!
I was wanting someone to go in there and get a hint that his name started with an "H."
On the morning we went to deliver, my mom was asking couldn't we just tell her the name since she was not coming to the hospital. I told her about his initial over his bed and she ran to see it. She was perplexed to find an "H". She joked that maybe it was another "Hunter". She guessed "Hamilton", but nothing else. She was a bit off the mark! Haha!
Oh, and since we've named Henry, we found out that Dustin's great-grandfather was named Henry Thomas. There are a few distant Henry's on my dad's side too. So, Henry IS a family name, along with his middle name, Paul. I like family names and all of our children have family names somewhere in their names. It was funny because we went to Dustin's family reunion over the summer, and a great-aunt said, "Finally, someone named a child after grandpa!". Dustin and I got a kick out of that because it wasn't intentional at first...but we did!
So, there you have it, Henry Paul! Or as my grandpa calls him, "H.P." :-)
Monday, February 11, 2013
All About Henry- Henry's birth story
I can't believe it's almost been a year since little Henry was born. We are preparing for his birthday on Thursday, so there's lots of excitement around here. The twins love helping and love a birthday party. We want to make Henry's day very special. We are planning to take him to lunch at his favorite Mexican restuarant. Well, OUR favorite Mexican restaurant. Daddy took the day off to spend with Henry. I have to do a little as I can for the party, due to all the little ones running around here! We decided to do a small, immediate family party for Henry. We just did a big party for the twins, and we really wanted something simple for Henry's 1st. Maybe next year we'll do a bigger party, I don't know. The twins are having a smaller, simpler party next year (at a bouncy place we think), so I guess we can just rotate years.
Anyway, here's Henry's birth story- a full year after I promised it! Haha!
Dustin and I got up very, very early on February 14th last year. We had to be at the hospital around 6:45 am or 7 for our scheduled induction. I must say, it was very weird driving to the hospital knowing we were on the way to have our baby THAT day. With the twins I was in the hospital ahead of time, plus we weren't sure exactly what day they were going to be born...so it was definitely NOT scheduled. The kids must have known something was up, because they got up at 5 am to see us off. Poor Boo-Boo (my mom) is all I can say. We left her with two screaming kids, up at 5 am. I think she was hoping for some sleep that morning before they got up. Leaving the twins was by far the hardest part of the whole process. I worried and fretted over it from the moment I found out I was pregnant. We had never been away from each other. I knew I wouldn't see them for 2 days, and it was hard. We decided not to have them come to the hospital because it would be hard for them to see me in the hospital, and also have to leave me there. We wanted them to meet the new baby at home. We arrived at the hospital right around 7, and it was still weird walking in with our bags. I insisted on walking from the parking lot and not being dropped off, for whatever reason. I will say I really was active during the pregnancy and felt great. I even had to run a few times while pregnant-thanks to Emilynn!!!
After waiting a few minutes, our favorite nurse and friend, Shawn, came to get us. She had our room ready and got started settling us in. We actually had her for the twins' delivery, and planned to have her for Henry's delivery as well. It's nice when things work out like that and you can arrange those things!!! It was a comfort to me to have someone we knew with me. I just felt more comfortable and at peace. I will say that since I knew exactly what to expect....I was at peace. Some people say just the opposite, they prefer NOT knowing what is coming during delivery! I am one who likes to know.
We got IVs going and my doctor (whom we also love) came by to break my water. It was a bit difficult (apparently due to Henry being so big), but my water broke and the pitocin began to induce labor. The funny thing was when Shawn first hooked me up to all the monitors, she said, "are you okay?" I was like, "yeah, why?" Apparently I was having steady contractions every 2 minutes and didn't even know it! That gave me hope we'd have a baby real soon! I was already dilated about 3cm. It was only an hour or so before my contractions were really intense, so Shawn decided to go ahead and get me on the epidural list. I have to say, I would not attempt to deliver without one. That's just me. I know some people like going au natural. I am not one of those people. As my doctor says, "They don't give out merit badges for natural childbirth." I agree and it made it so much more of an enjoyable experience. I had to have an epidural with the twins in case we had to do an emergency C-section, so I knew what to expect. The anesthesiologist apparently had a C-section for 9:30, so she came to squeeze me in before that, about 9:20. We were afraid if we waited till after, it might be too late. Well, a word of advice- don't get an epidural from an anesthesiologist in a hurry. Seriously, looking back it wasn't the best idea to rush that woman. She did the epidural, and it was quite painful. I did not remember my previous one being painful at all. I remember thinking to myself, thank goodness I never have to go through that again.
Well, the epidural only worked on one side. I was in a lot of pain on my right side, which they had me lay on. My dad and Dustin were both trying to make small talk and distract me I guess, but finally they just left me alone. I had my eyes shut and had gripped the bed rail. My contractions were back to back with no lag time for relief. My nurse called for the anesthesiologist, who came to give me a "booster." She came in with a huge needle and I think my dad and Dustin both were a little freaked by that. I didn't care, I just wanted relief. I will also mention that after she left, the above mentioned HUGE needle was on the floor of my room! Eeek! My dad got some gloves and threw it in the sharps container. It's funny what you remember, isn't it?
The booster did not help my pain in any way. At which point, Shawn cut off the pitocin and said, "We aren't doing this until you're comfortable." Thank goodness! Well, you should never say never because in comes the anesthesiologist and she declared we'd have to re-do the epidural. Well, the second one was done and it did not hurt at all going in. It was just like I remembered from my first delivery, and it worked! I was so happy and could get some rest. My doctor came by to check on me, and it was probably around 11:30 at this point. Coming from a very competetive family, I had decided I wanted to beat my first two delivery times this time. Henry would need to be born by 12:52 (Carson's birth time) to accomplish that. I know-that is nuts!!! Hahaha...It was a goal to work towards. It was not meant to be anyway, due to the delays. It was 12:45 pm or so before I was finally 10 cm dilated and ready to push. My dad was kicked out at this point! Henry was very big, and he was not coming very easily. I pushed for a while with the nurse, which I had not done the first time, obviously. Then my doctor arrived and it really wasn't long at all before Henry made his grand entrance into the world. He was born at 1:50 pm weighing in at a whopping 8 lb. 12 oz. I have to say, it was an amazing experience. I got to experience so many things I didn't with the twins. First of all, it was a quiet delivery, without an audience of 11! It was just me, Dustin, the nurse, and doctor. The baby nurse joined us at the end. I got to have Henry placed on my belly, which didn't happen with the twins since I had to deliver the second baby. I had looked forward to that moment for a while, I wanted that experience. After he was born, the doctor, nurse, Dustin, Henry, and I were just in the room chatting and it was nice. They all loved his name and of course he was darling with a head of black hair (that's since turned blonde!). My dad and sister got to come back and see us. It was a very calm, peaceful experience compared to the twin delivery. I must say, I was in no pain and really enjoyed the experience. We didn't even have to send Henry to the nursery for his evaluation, they graciously let us keep him to visit with everyone for hours. It was very nice.
My dad got to hang out with us before the delivery, my sister had gotten the coveted "bracelet" the first time with the twins to get to come back and see us. She gave that honor to my dad this go round. I was so glad to have them both with me and know I had them in the waiting room for support. I can't wait to go with my Dad in May for my sister's delivery and be there for her. It's a tradition now!
So, that is Henry's birth story. It's not dramatic, but it's just how things went that Valentine's Day, one year ago. I wouldn't change a thing about it! The overall hospital stay was so calm, quiet, and enjoyable. I sent Dustin home on Wednesday, the day after the birth, to check on my babies! I was missing them big time, but enjoying the down time and rest.
More tomorrow......where did we get the name Henry from????
Anyway, here's Henry's birth story- a full year after I promised it! Haha!
Dustin and I got up very, very early on February 14th last year. We had to be at the hospital around 6:45 am or 7 for our scheduled induction. I must say, it was very weird driving to the hospital knowing we were on the way to have our baby THAT day. With the twins I was in the hospital ahead of time, plus we weren't sure exactly what day they were going to be born...so it was definitely NOT scheduled. The kids must have known something was up, because they got up at 5 am to see us off. Poor Boo-Boo (my mom) is all I can say. We left her with two screaming kids, up at 5 am. I think she was hoping for some sleep that morning before they got up. Leaving the twins was by far the hardest part of the whole process. I worried and fretted over it from the moment I found out I was pregnant. We had never been away from each other. I knew I wouldn't see them for 2 days, and it was hard. We decided not to have them come to the hospital because it would be hard for them to see me in the hospital, and also have to leave me there. We wanted them to meet the new baby at home. We arrived at the hospital right around 7, and it was still weird walking in with our bags. I insisted on walking from the parking lot and not being dropped off, for whatever reason. I will say I really was active during the pregnancy and felt great. I even had to run a few times while pregnant-thanks to Emilynn!!!
After waiting a few minutes, our favorite nurse and friend, Shawn, came to get us. She had our room ready and got started settling us in. We actually had her for the twins' delivery, and planned to have her for Henry's delivery as well. It's nice when things work out like that and you can arrange those things!!! It was a comfort to me to have someone we knew with me. I just felt more comfortable and at peace. I will say that since I knew exactly what to expect....I was at peace. Some people say just the opposite, they prefer NOT knowing what is coming during delivery! I am one who likes to know.
We got IVs going and my doctor (whom we also love) came by to break my water. It was a bit difficult (apparently due to Henry being so big), but my water broke and the pitocin began to induce labor. The funny thing was when Shawn first hooked me up to all the monitors, she said, "are you okay?" I was like, "yeah, why?" Apparently I was having steady contractions every 2 minutes and didn't even know it! That gave me hope we'd have a baby real soon! I was already dilated about 3cm. It was only an hour or so before my contractions were really intense, so Shawn decided to go ahead and get me on the epidural list. I have to say, I would not attempt to deliver without one. That's just me. I know some people like going au natural. I am not one of those people. As my doctor says, "They don't give out merit badges for natural childbirth." I agree and it made it so much more of an enjoyable experience. I had to have an epidural with the twins in case we had to do an emergency C-section, so I knew what to expect. The anesthesiologist apparently had a C-section for 9:30, so she came to squeeze me in before that, about 9:20. We were afraid if we waited till after, it might be too late. Well, a word of advice- don't get an epidural from an anesthesiologist in a hurry. Seriously, looking back it wasn't the best idea to rush that woman. She did the epidural, and it was quite painful. I did not remember my previous one being painful at all. I remember thinking to myself, thank goodness I never have to go through that again.
Well, the epidural only worked on one side. I was in a lot of pain on my right side, which they had me lay on. My dad and Dustin were both trying to make small talk and distract me I guess, but finally they just left me alone. I had my eyes shut and had gripped the bed rail. My contractions were back to back with no lag time for relief. My nurse called for the anesthesiologist, who came to give me a "booster." She came in with a huge needle and I think my dad and Dustin both were a little freaked by that. I didn't care, I just wanted relief. I will also mention that after she left, the above mentioned HUGE needle was on the floor of my room! Eeek! My dad got some gloves and threw it in the sharps container. It's funny what you remember, isn't it?
The booster did not help my pain in any way. At which point, Shawn cut off the pitocin and said, "We aren't doing this until you're comfortable." Thank goodness! Well, you should never say never because in comes the anesthesiologist and she declared we'd have to re-do the epidural. Well, the second one was done and it did not hurt at all going in. It was just like I remembered from my first delivery, and it worked! I was so happy and could get some rest. My doctor came by to check on me, and it was probably around 11:30 at this point. Coming from a very competetive family, I had decided I wanted to beat my first two delivery times this time. Henry would need to be born by 12:52 (Carson's birth time) to accomplish that. I know-that is nuts!!! Hahaha...It was a goal to work towards. It was not meant to be anyway, due to the delays. It was 12:45 pm or so before I was finally 10 cm dilated and ready to push. My dad was kicked out at this point! Henry was very big, and he was not coming very easily. I pushed for a while with the nurse, which I had not done the first time, obviously. Then my doctor arrived and it really wasn't long at all before Henry made his grand entrance into the world. He was born at 1:50 pm weighing in at a whopping 8 lb. 12 oz. I have to say, it was an amazing experience. I got to experience so many things I didn't with the twins. First of all, it was a quiet delivery, without an audience of 11! It was just me, Dustin, the nurse, and doctor. The baby nurse joined us at the end. I got to have Henry placed on my belly, which didn't happen with the twins since I had to deliver the second baby. I had looked forward to that moment for a while, I wanted that experience. After he was born, the doctor, nurse, Dustin, Henry, and I were just in the room chatting and it was nice. They all loved his name and of course he was darling with a head of black hair (that's since turned blonde!). My dad and sister got to come back and see us. It was a very calm, peaceful experience compared to the twin delivery. I must say, I was in no pain and really enjoyed the experience. We didn't even have to send Henry to the nursery for his evaluation, they graciously let us keep him to visit with everyone for hours. It was very nice.
My dad got to hang out with us before the delivery, my sister had gotten the coveted "bracelet" the first time with the twins to get to come back and see us. She gave that honor to my dad this go round. I was so glad to have them both with me and know I had them in the waiting room for support. I can't wait to go with my Dad in May for my sister's delivery and be there for her. It's a tradition now!
So, that is Henry's birth story. It's not dramatic, but it's just how things went that Valentine's Day, one year ago. I wouldn't change a thing about it! The overall hospital stay was so calm, quiet, and enjoyable. I sent Dustin home on Wednesday, the day after the birth, to check on my babies! I was missing them big time, but enjoying the down time and rest.
More tomorrow......where did we get the name Henry from????
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Soy
Apparently it's food week on my blog! Haha....since I mentioned milk yesterday, I felt like I had to share something else that's helped our health tremendously. For the past year, Emilynn has complained and complained about her stomach. She would either have a really upset stomach (I'll spare you the details), or just complain it hurt. She would hold it saying it hurt, or sometimes just say her tummy was "grumbly." We couldn't pinpoint anything causing it, I tried keeping food journals in an attempt to see a connection but couldn't figure it out so I gave that up. I discussed it with her pediatrician at the 3 year check up. She immediately recommended an elimination diet and told me the cause was probably dairy. Hmmm...I had issues with this for several reasons. First of all, our dairy is the best quality dairy and I fully believe in it's health benefits. Secondly, I know sometimes doctors aren't really trained in nutrition, so I couldn't figure out what she was basing this on.....just a generalization I guess. Thirdly, my "mommy instincts" told me it wasn't the case. I don't know why, but I just didn't believe it. She has been drinking milk (and lots of it) since she was 1 year old without incident. Oh, and the dr. did not ask me to come back for a follow up or anything, I felt like she basically dismissed us to figure it out ourselves or just "deal."
I decided to research it a bit and decide what I thought was best for our girl. I consulted two of my friends who think the way we do about food and are also considered "weird"- haha! One gave me some interesting advice. She suggested we try to cut soy out of our diet. Hmmm....we don't eat much soy anyway, or so I thought! Once I started researching it, I realized we probably eat soy ALL THE TIME! It turned out to be really simple though, I just started reading labels more carefully and not buying products with soy in them. It was amazing! We cut them immediately and it's been over a month now and Emilynn has not complained once about her stomach. It is truly unbelievable!! A lot of family members had known and heard her complain about her stomach. I am thankful that we found out what was causing her problems. The friend that gave me this tip said she had another friend who could not tolerate soy, it made her very ill. I know of someone else who gets sick when they have MSG, which has soy in it.
Apparently it's in lots of things-chocolate and candies, all kinds of processed foods, and many, many things. Here's a list of some things on ingredient labels which may mean it contains soy:
I decided to research it a bit and decide what I thought was best for our girl. I consulted two of my friends who think the way we do about food and are also considered "weird"- haha! One gave me some interesting advice. She suggested we try to cut soy out of our diet. Hmmm....we don't eat much soy anyway, or so I thought! Once I started researching it, I realized we probably eat soy ALL THE TIME! It turned out to be really simple though, I just started reading labels more carefully and not buying products with soy in them. It was amazing! We cut them immediately and it's been over a month now and Emilynn has not complained once about her stomach. It is truly unbelievable!! A lot of family members had known and heard her complain about her stomach. I am thankful that we found out what was causing her problems. The friend that gave me this tip said she had another friend who could not tolerate soy, it made her very ill. I know of someone else who gets sick when they have MSG, which has soy in it.
Apparently it's in lots of things-chocolate and candies, all kinds of processed foods, and many, many things. Here's a list of some things on ingredient labels which may mean it contains soy:
- soy (obviously)
- hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
- mono- & di- glycerides
- MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- soy lethicin
- soy protein (concentrate, hydrolyzed, isolate)
- soybean oil
- teriyaki sauce
- textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- bulking agent
- hydrolyzed plant/vegetable protein (HPP or HVP)
- gum arabic
- guar gum
- lethicin
- mixed tocopherol
- natural flavoring
- stabilizer
- thickener
- vitamin E
- vegetable gum
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Milk & food
Since I posted about Milk Monday yesterday, I thought I'd give a "milk update". Henry started on "regular milk" over the weekend. He adjusted fine and is doing great with it. He does not like much in the way of solids yet, but you know....I've never known an adult still eating baby foods, so I'm sure he'll get there in time. We aren't even past #2 foods yet! I guess because he's the "baby", I'm not worrying him or rushing him.
I just have to say again, as I've said many times, I truly, truly believe in the health benefits of the raw milk we drink. It tastes amazing and truly, my kids have benefitted so much from the tougher immune systems from it. I can count on one hand how many times they have been sick or needed antibiotics. It truly amazes me. We do catch the colds going around from time to time, but they last noticeably shorter periods of time. I realize my kids don't go to day care, so that could play a factor, but we do go to Walmart, restaurants, church, and other places where lots of people gather.
I know "raw" sounds kind of negative, so I prefer to say "fresh" milk. :-) There is no comparison to that and store bought milk. To me, store milk all tastes sour and "watered down". I just can't drink it anymore. We had a milk shortage in Nov. & Dec. and I just didn't drink any.
Anyway, if you want to read more info- there's a wonderful book called "The Untold Story of Milk" which gives the history of why milk started being pastuerized and homogenized in the first place.
A good read if you are interested in healthy, real foods.
I just have to say again, as I've said many times, I truly, truly believe in the health benefits of the raw milk we drink. It tastes amazing and truly, my kids have benefitted so much from the tougher immune systems from it. I can count on one hand how many times they have been sick or needed antibiotics. It truly amazes me. We do catch the colds going around from time to time, but they last noticeably shorter periods of time. I realize my kids don't go to day care, so that could play a factor, but we do go to Walmart, restaurants, church, and other places where lots of people gather.
I know "raw" sounds kind of negative, so I prefer to say "fresh" milk. :-) There is no comparison to that and store bought milk. To me, store milk all tastes sour and "watered down". I just can't drink it anymore. We had a milk shortage in Nov. & Dec. and I just didn't drink any.
Anyway, if you want to read more info- there's a wonderful book called "The Untold Story of Milk" which gives the history of why milk started being pastuerized and homogenized in the first place.
A good read if you are interested in healthy, real foods.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Milk Monday....
If you've been around here for a while, you know Mondays are "milk Mondays" for us. We go to pick up our fresh milk every Monday. Sometimes we have lunch with Amanda and our friend Joyce, sometimes we don't. It varies week to week. Yesterday I decided to brave Walmart with the kids. I really don't know what got into me-haha! Actually it went fine, they were very good. Especially considering we had to get 2 kids' birthday gifts and they weren't getting anything. Well, I did let them each get a container of bubbles. Which they proudly paid for separately from Momma, so cute! They are becoming so independent now and Henry loves being right in the thick of things-he plays with them all day and they love having him play. Carson will tell me, "Henry wants to crawl Mom," which means Henry wants to play with them on the floor.
Yesterday, the cashier at Walmart irked me a bit. She was still checking out the guy in front of us when she looks at Henry with his helmet on and says, "I need a hat like that, to keep my head warm. I need a hat like he's wearing." Seriously, I just looked at her. The guy in front of us looked at me, I guess to see if I was going to say something. I just smiled at him and he smiled at me like...."what a weird thing to say." I just thought that was such a strange and inappropriate thing to say, being that you can clearly tell his helmet is not meant for warmth. It's clearly a "medical" thing. Urrghhh... Anyway, I did not respond and just kept on with putting the stuff on the register. I feel like those times are tests to see how we will react. You know how everyone looks at Christians to see how we react-the world is waiting for you to slip up. At least that's how I feel at times. Of course, we all slip up. I shouldn't even complain about the cashier, I'm sure she didn't know what to say. Perhaps nothing would have been best, but I'm glad I did not respond in any way. I really wanted to say, "M'am, you don't want to have to wear one of these "hats", I promise." but I chose to be silent. My kids weren't paying any attention anyway, they were anxiously waiting to pay for their own stuff like big kids. Honestly, the twins are so protective of Henry, I can just stand back and let them handle things! Haha! You should see them when someone picks him up and "acts" like they are going to keep him. They will quickly say, "you can't have our baby!" or "that's OUR baby!". It's so cute how much they love each other and Henry.
Lately if the twins have a scuffle, one or the other will claim, "You aren't my best friend anymore." It's funny. They truly are best friends. I love watching their bond develop and strenthen as the years go by.
Then there was Henry- who they've taken right in!
Speaking of Henry-his birthday is next week. I can't even believe it!!! Next week I'm hoping to post all about Henry all week. You know, since I've never gotten around to post about his birth story, his name, etc.
I can't believe my teeny little baby....well, as teeny as an 8lb. 12 oz. baby can be, is now almost 1!
Yesterday, the cashier at Walmart irked me a bit. She was still checking out the guy in front of us when she looks at Henry with his helmet on and says, "I need a hat like that, to keep my head warm. I need a hat like he's wearing." Seriously, I just looked at her. The guy in front of us looked at me, I guess to see if I was going to say something. I just smiled at him and he smiled at me like...."what a weird thing to say." I just thought that was such a strange and inappropriate thing to say, being that you can clearly tell his helmet is not meant for warmth. It's clearly a "medical" thing. Urrghhh... Anyway, I did not respond and just kept on with putting the stuff on the register. I feel like those times are tests to see how we will react. You know how everyone looks at Christians to see how we react-the world is waiting for you to slip up. At least that's how I feel at times. Of course, we all slip up. I shouldn't even complain about the cashier, I'm sure she didn't know what to say. Perhaps nothing would have been best, but I'm glad I did not respond in any way. I really wanted to say, "M'am, you don't want to have to wear one of these "hats", I promise." but I chose to be silent. My kids weren't paying any attention anyway, they were anxiously waiting to pay for their own stuff like big kids. Honestly, the twins are so protective of Henry, I can just stand back and let them handle things! Haha! You should see them when someone picks him up and "acts" like they are going to keep him. They will quickly say, "you can't have our baby!" or "that's OUR baby!". It's so cute how much they love each other and Henry.
Lately if the twins have a scuffle, one or the other will claim, "You aren't my best friend anymore." It's funny. They truly are best friends. I love watching their bond develop and strenthen as the years go by.
Then there was Henry- who they've taken right in!
Speaking of Henry-his birthday is next week. I can't even believe it!!! Next week I'm hoping to post all about Henry all week. You know, since I've never gotten around to post about his birth story, his name, etc.
I can't believe my teeny little baby....well, as teeny as an 8lb. 12 oz. baby can be, is now almost 1!
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