I have been feeling so much better lately that it's been hard to stop and focus on what still needs improvement. There is more work yet to do, especially in the area of my sensory problems. I have been paying more attention lately to what sets me off, and it's mainly church (or large group gatherings) and playing Wii. And don't combine the two in the same day :)
I payed very close attention in church today and noticed that only the sound system bothered me. I was fine during the music service, but noticed the problems creeping up when ever someone spoke into a microphone. It's hard to describe what I'm feeling, but I'll give it a go. Basically, I feel funny in the head :) My ears start to feel....something...not numb, but more of a foggy feeling. See, hard to describe! But I know when it's happening and it triggers my "flight or fight" reaction. Sometimes it gets so bad that I have to leave the service. And on a bad day in church, it will continue to bother me when I go home. I can't stand being around the kids when they are noisy and everything makes me cranky.
Today I was feeling a little off after church, but then we went out to a restaurant afterwards. The music combined with the chatter of the patrons (and my own children) made me want to leave before we even got our meals. I stuck it out, but am still feeling "off" today. I had to take a nap when we got home just to get some relief. And of course, I am still unable to go back to church for the Sunday evening service. I can't imagine how horrible I would feel subjecting myself to that two times in one day.
I did play some Wii this afternoon (my arms and hands finally feel good enough to do that again) but the sensory part set me off again. I think it's worse b/c of church this morning. So, I know I'm going much better once I can get back to two services on Sundays and I can play Wii.
I have started the next round of stuff, which is targeting my gut (cleaning out any parasites that are in there) and cleansing my nerves. I have nine bazillion pills to take this time but I'd rather do that than another powder. But I end up drinking a huge amount of water to get all that stuff down, so I'm wondering if it's an evil plot to get me to drink more water :) I will be doing this stuff until early May. It might make me feel crummy tomorrow or Tues, but so far I'm fine. Diet is still the same.
In other news, we found a fabulous gluten-free bakery and it's only 1/2 hour away. We bought bread (cheaper than any we found around here) and some baked goods. Rob and the kids enjoyed coffee cake and some cookies that were divine!! (Yes, I snuck a bite or two!) The bakery has a gluten-free mini-grocery store attached to it and we picked up a few things we can't find in Watertown. We love it and would like to make a trip there about once a month.
And I lost another pound this week!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Anna's Fourth Birthday
The birthday princess is sound asleep right now, so it's safe to say her birthday is officially over :) We had a very nice day today keeping her birthday low-key. I know she wanted a big party, but Mommy doesn't do more than one a month!
We celebrated her birthday with the family-at-large at the beginning of the month, so today was all about the five of us. After Mommy got up, Anna got her present from the brothers. She really wanted a mermaid Ariel doll, but those things are not dressed modestly and I don't want her playing with something dressed in a way we won't let her dress. So, we found a compromise. Ben and I found a mermaid outfit for an Ariel doll and Anna can put it on her Ariel ballerina doll, which has a painted-on one-piece suit. Perfect! She was so happy to finally have her mermaid :)
She had to wait for Daddy to wake up to get her big gift, but she didn't end up waiting long b/c Rob couldn't sleep. He took her up to the attic where she found a box containing a large dollhouse, perfect to play with all of her Disney Princess dolls. It even came with some furniture. Rob spent a good part of the morning putting it together and it is so cute!
I always let the birthday child choose the menu for the day, so we had sausage and pancakes for breakfast. I had to pop online to find a gluten-free pancake recipe and finally found one that everyone likes. Rob threw in some chocolate chips as a special treat.
For lunch, Anna chose a picnic at the park. Really, when have we EVER been able to have a picnic on her birthday?? So I packed up lunches and we all trooped to the park. We were even able to feed the ducks, who were competing fiercely for the food.
We came home and had Anna's birthday cake. I tried out a new gluten-free cake mix and it was okay, but I think they would have been better will smaller pieces. Then the kids played while the adults crashed :)
For supper, Miss Anna chose homemade mac 'n cheese, which is easy to convert to gluten-free: all we have to use it brown rice noodles and a gluten-free flour mix. She kept saying over and over again how much she loved her birthday! Oh, she did get the traditional phone call from my parents, who sang to her, and a call from Aunt Mandy and her cousins who also sang to her. She kept saying she just wanted her cousin Kenzie to come and play.
Tonight at church, she moved up a class and was SOOOO excited to go! She didn't even fuss about her Tiny Tracker shirt.
So I no longer have a baby in the house, even though she'll always be my baby. And I'm okay with that :)
We celebrated her birthday with the family-at-large at the beginning of the month, so today was all about the five of us. After Mommy got up, Anna got her present from the brothers. She really wanted a mermaid Ariel doll, but those things are not dressed modestly and I don't want her playing with something dressed in a way we won't let her dress. So, we found a compromise. Ben and I found a mermaid outfit for an Ariel doll and Anna can put it on her Ariel ballerina doll, which has a painted-on one-piece suit. Perfect! She was so happy to finally have her mermaid :)
She had to wait for Daddy to wake up to get her big gift, but she didn't end up waiting long b/c Rob couldn't sleep. He took her up to the attic where she found a box containing a large dollhouse, perfect to play with all of her Disney Princess dolls. It even came with some furniture. Rob spent a good part of the morning putting it together and it is so cute!
I always let the birthday child choose the menu for the day, so we had sausage and pancakes for breakfast. I had to pop online to find a gluten-free pancake recipe and finally found one that everyone likes. Rob threw in some chocolate chips as a special treat.
For lunch, Anna chose a picnic at the park. Really, when have we EVER been able to have a picnic on her birthday?? So I packed up lunches and we all trooped to the park. We were even able to feed the ducks, who were competing fiercely for the food.
We came home and had Anna's birthday cake. I tried out a new gluten-free cake mix and it was okay, but I think they would have been better will smaller pieces. Then the kids played while the adults crashed :)
For supper, Miss Anna chose homemade mac 'n cheese, which is easy to convert to gluten-free: all we have to use it brown rice noodles and a gluten-free flour mix. She kept saying over and over again how much she loved her birthday! Oh, she did get the traditional phone call from my parents, who sang to her, and a call from Aunt Mandy and her cousins who also sang to her. She kept saying she just wanted her cousin Kenzie to come and play.
Tonight at church, she moved up a class and was SOOOO excited to go! She didn't even fuss about her Tiny Tracker shirt.
So I no longer have a baby in the house, even though she'll always be my baby. And I'm okay with that :)
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Fibro Update: Week 3-2
It's been awhile since I've posted about my fibro treatments, mainly b/c I feel so much better that I had better things to do! I really do feel like a new woman these days. My energy levels are up, I'm more active, and I am "waking up" to all kinds of things around me. Let me kind of bullet point the changes as I think of them.
1. I feel like spring cleaning, and I haven't wanted to do that in years. I'm looking at my home with new eyes, seeing the potential, and actually wanting to do something about it.
2. I sewed! My hands have been way too sore to even attempt sewing in several years, but I have made a few hairbows and repaired one of Anna's princess dresses.
3. I can bend over and pick things up w/o any pain.
4. I can take longer walks and not feel out of breath.
5. I have more energy to take the kids places and no longer dread going to the park. In fact, the last two park visits I stood up talking to the moms the entire time.
6. I have taken the kids shopping by myself several times and don't feel overwhelmed.
I have had some pain flare-ups, but they have been short-lived and I've recovered faster than before. I finished my last cleanse last week and am waiting on some stuff to come in for the next round 'o fun, but it should be the least inhibiting thing by far.
And I have lost a total of 21 pounds so far! The early spring weather did present a new problem: I had no summer clothes! I didn't anticipate having to shop this early for new things. So I have made two trips out and now have the bare minimum wardrobe. I don't want to buy too much b/c I'm still losing weight and I made sure my new things have drawstrings so I can pull them in and try to make them last the summer. But I suppose if I have to go shopping again, it's not all bad, right?? :)
1. I feel like spring cleaning, and I haven't wanted to do that in years. I'm looking at my home with new eyes, seeing the potential, and actually wanting to do something about it.
2. I sewed! My hands have been way too sore to even attempt sewing in several years, but I have made a few hairbows and repaired one of Anna's princess dresses.
3. I can bend over and pick things up w/o any pain.
4. I can take longer walks and not feel out of breath.
5. I have more energy to take the kids places and no longer dread going to the park. In fact, the last two park visits I stood up talking to the moms the entire time.
6. I have taken the kids shopping by myself several times and don't feel overwhelmed.
I have had some pain flare-ups, but they have been short-lived and I've recovered faster than before. I finished my last cleanse last week and am waiting on some stuff to come in for the next round 'o fun, but it should be the least inhibiting thing by far.
And I have lost a total of 21 pounds so far! The early spring weather did present a new problem: I had no summer clothes! I didn't anticipate having to shop this early for new things. So I have made two trips out and now have the bare minimum wardrobe. I don't want to buy too much b/c I'm still losing weight and I made sure my new things have drawstrings so I can pull them in and try to make them last the summer. But I suppose if I have to go shopping again, it's not all bad, right?? :)
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Trip to Illinois
It had been six months since we ventured out of state to visit family. We've had a few visits up here, but my health has not permitted us to travel at all. We had a rather packed visit, but it was fun and while it left me sore, I did better than I expected.
We took off Friday morning and while we had planned to let Rob sleep, the kids were too excited. I'm glad we left when we did because they got tons of snow up here during the day! So glad we didn't get stuck in it. We arrived in the early afternoon and Rob and I went out to shop for the birthday parties. We had dinner at a Chinese Buffet/Hibachi grill with the Litwillers. It was kind of surprising to see how little of the buffet Rob and I could actually eat. Thankfully there was a wonderful hibachi grill, so we loaded up on veggies and meat. The chef was surprised to hear that we didn't want any sauce, but soy sauce contains gluten so we had to go with just water. It was delicious.
Afterwards we all headed back to Rob's parent's home and had a party for Ben and Anna. All of the cousins ripped around the house and we had a great time celebrating the two of them.
The next day was rather busy for me. I did a workshop for my sister in the morning, ate a salad on the road and got to my mom's just in time to set up for her workshop! Anna came with me to my sister's so she could play with her cousin. The boys and Rob paid a visit to GG, which is always one of the highlights of each visit. During my mom's workshop, the kids and Rob went out with my dad and had a fun time. We crashed that evening pretty hard.
The next day, we went back to Normal and attended church with my sister. Well, Rob, Anna, and I did. The boys went to church with my parents then met us for lunch. Anna got to go to Sunday school with her favorite cousin. We enjoyed the service, bought Bibles at the bookstore, and then went to lunch at Qdoba. I'm SO glad I don't have a corn issue. Tacos have been a real lifesaver!
We went back to the church for my nephew's baby dedication and then on home afterwards. And then my real fun began as I furiously prepped for the vendor fair I did yesterday, but that post will be on my stamp blog :)
We took off Friday morning and while we had planned to let Rob sleep, the kids were too excited. I'm glad we left when we did because they got tons of snow up here during the day! So glad we didn't get stuck in it. We arrived in the early afternoon and Rob and I went out to shop for the birthday parties. We had dinner at a Chinese Buffet/Hibachi grill with the Litwillers. It was kind of surprising to see how little of the buffet Rob and I could actually eat. Thankfully there was a wonderful hibachi grill, so we loaded up on veggies and meat. The chef was surprised to hear that we didn't want any sauce, but soy sauce contains gluten so we had to go with just water. It was delicious.
Afterwards we all headed back to Rob's parent's home and had a party for Ben and Anna. All of the cousins ripped around the house and we had a great time celebrating the two of them.
The next day was rather busy for me. I did a workshop for my sister in the morning, ate a salad on the road and got to my mom's just in time to set up for her workshop! Anna came with me to my sister's so she could play with her cousin. The boys and Rob paid a visit to GG, which is always one of the highlights of each visit. During my mom's workshop, the kids and Rob went out with my dad and had a fun time. We crashed that evening pretty hard.
The next day, we went back to Normal and attended church with my sister. Well, Rob, Anna, and I did. The boys went to church with my parents then met us for lunch. Anna got to go to Sunday school with her favorite cousin. We enjoyed the service, bought Bibles at the bookstore, and then went to lunch at Qdoba. I'm SO glad I don't have a corn issue. Tacos have been a real lifesaver!
We went back to the church for my nephew's baby dedication and then on home afterwards. And then my real fun began as I furiously prepped for the vendor fair I did yesterday, but that post will be on my stamp blog :)
Ben's 6th Birthday
Wow...it's been awhile since my last post! We've had quite a bit going on and I've been healthy enough to enjoy it, so that's probably why. I have a few posts to make and I wanted to start with the funnest: Ben's birthday. Our middle guy turned 6 this past Wednesday....where did the time go??
We had a family party for he and Anna last weekend down in Illinois. It was supposed to be mainly for Anna, but it's kind of hard not to do both of them when their birthdays are so close together. Ben's Aunt Kim made a cute pirate cake for him and my sister did a Tinkerbell cake for Miss Anna. The kids opened a pile of presents, then ripped around with their cousins for the rest of the evening.
We decided to have Ben's kid party the day before his birthday, since his actual birthday was a Wednesday. I didn't want parents to have to rush their children from school to our house to home to church. As it was, I should have pushed the start time back by a half hour---I didn't realize the Christian school got out at 3:15, so a 3:30 start time was a little early. Ben was supposed to have six kids coming, but three of them (siblings) didn't make it b/c their mom flat out forgot. We still had a great time and played piratey games, ate ice cream cake, and opened gifts. Rob flexed time at work so he could be with me for an hour of it. He made balloon swords for the guests.
And then Wednesday was Ben's actual birthday! I made a big breakfast for him (gluten-free sausage, gluten-free muffins, cheese sticks, and yogurt) then we had no school per his request. When Daddy got up, Ben found out the big surprise: he got to pick out a new bike! The bike was from us and both sets of grandparents. We went to Farm and Fleet first, but they only had one bike in his size and he didn't like it. Then we hit Wal-mart and looked over their large selection. He picked out a red shiny bike but hasn't had much chance to ride it. The inner tube blew, so Rob took it back and instead of fixing it (as they said they would do over the phone) they gave him a free inner tube. Rob hasn't fixed it yet, but that's okay b/c the bike is a bit bigger than his old one. He's riding the old one right now, getting used to bike riding again, then Rob will get the new bike working.
We went to El Mariachi's for lunch and came home to finish off the cake. Ben did say his birthday didn't feel like a real birthday, but that's only because he had already had his parties. Next birthday is Miss Anna's, but she's not having a kid party although she keeps trying to talk me into one! Next year :)
We had a family party for he and Anna last weekend down in Illinois. It was supposed to be mainly for Anna, but it's kind of hard not to do both of them when their birthdays are so close together. Ben's Aunt Kim made a cute pirate cake for him and my sister did a Tinkerbell cake for Miss Anna. The kids opened a pile of presents, then ripped around with their cousins for the rest of the evening.
We decided to have Ben's kid party the day before his birthday, since his actual birthday was a Wednesday. I didn't want parents to have to rush their children from school to our house to home to church. As it was, I should have pushed the start time back by a half hour---I didn't realize the Christian school got out at 3:15, so a 3:30 start time was a little early. Ben was supposed to have six kids coming, but three of them (siblings) didn't make it b/c their mom flat out forgot. We still had a great time and played piratey games, ate ice cream cake, and opened gifts. Rob flexed time at work so he could be with me for an hour of it. He made balloon swords for the guests.
And then Wednesday was Ben's actual birthday! I made a big breakfast for him (gluten-free sausage, gluten-free muffins, cheese sticks, and yogurt) then we had no school per his request. When Daddy got up, Ben found out the big surprise: he got to pick out a new bike! The bike was from us and both sets of grandparents. We went to Farm and Fleet first, but they only had one bike in his size and he didn't like it. Then we hit Wal-mart and looked over their large selection. He picked out a red shiny bike but hasn't had much chance to ride it. The inner tube blew, so Rob took it back and instead of fixing it (as they said they would do over the phone) they gave him a free inner tube. Rob hasn't fixed it yet, but that's okay b/c the bike is a bit bigger than his old one. He's riding the old one right now, getting used to bike riding again, then Rob will get the new bike working.
We went to El Mariachi's for lunch and came home to finish off the cake. Ben did say his birthday didn't feel like a real birthday, but that's only because he had already had his parties. Next birthday is Miss Anna's, but she's not having a kid party although she keeps trying to talk me into one! Next year :)
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