life amongst sixty one drafts, an update or something like it.
(the real reason I am not a fumbling blubbering idiot most days… he keeps me sane and grounded. and because I owed him a better picture after the last post.)
I have sixty one drafts sitting in my WordPress dashboard, waiting to be finished, edited, or turned into something. Sixty One!
Um…. can someone tell me where I can get the strongest coffee in existence? One that would keep me up all day and night for oh, a hundred hours or so without me verging on snappy, psycho mom or having any negative repercussions? Does that exist? 🙂 My blog would be very thankful if it did.
I’m frustrated because when I sit down to write these days, I can’t finish a thought. I’m too tired, or I have too many other things to do that I can’t focus. I guess I’m just not prioritizing it. Mostly because my kids, Ryan and my own health come first, and right now these things are taking up two hundred percent of my time. I’m not complaining. I would not change this stage of life I am in with my family for even a second. I just want to conjure up some more super mom power and figure out how to get some writing in for my own sanity.
So… since I’ve been AWOL again for a month or so, I am simply going to update my (approximately 5) regular readers with the happenings of my life for the last month or so.
First of all, and the heaviest thing on my mind right now, is my little Lucas. After two years of using steroids to control his eczema, we have begun to investigate the true cause and heal his little body so he does not have to deal with it on a daily basis anymore. With the help of a local naturopath, we did some allergy testing and found that he is reacting to more than 70 different grains, fruits, vegetables, spices and meats, as well as dairy, egg, and soy. We have removed all of those foods from his diet and once his rash clears (please let it clear!) then we will begin adding them back in one at a time in hopes of finding the triggers to his rash. He is handling it like a champ. He eats anything I give him, and doesn’t complain when I tell him no to all of his favorite foods “just for a little while”. He happily munches on his lettuce leaves filled with quinoa and chicken, and eats his dried fruit and pumpkin seeds for snacks. He even eats sauerkraut from the jar just like his daddy (and mama too).
We are a week into this diet with Lucas, and I don’t see any improvement. He was redder tonight than he has been in a week. I am so confused, and so frustrated beyond thoughts and words. All I want in this whole world is for my babies to be healthy and happy, and when something like this takes over his body in such a harsh and visible way, and I cannot for the life of me make it better, I start to lose it just a little bit. But I know it’s only been a week. These things take time. Right?!
ANYWAY….in other news…
I’ve been spending a lot of time doing some fermenting at home, making sauerkraut, water kefir, and home made yogurt. It is a ton of fun and I think I will do a post on it soon so I’ll save that info for later.
Lucas is enrolled for a Pre-K this fall at a preschool just a couple miles from our house. He will be going a few days a week, and he is excited to get to play with some new things and ask all his questions to someone besides mommy for a change. We are definitely not abandoning our homeschool ideas, nor have we decided on what we will be doing for kindergarten, we are just thinking that a few hours of stimulating, structured activity a week away from home will be good for our little four year old mastermind. And the break for mom, and one on one time with Nathan will be nice.
I’m spending more time on photography these days too. I had the pleasure of doing special birthday photos for my five year old nephew today, and I’ll have my first try at newborn photos sometime in the next few weeks, depending on when a certain little boy enters this world.
I’m spending more time on instagram these days and having lots of fun with my iphone camera. So many apps and so little time. What’s a girl to do?!
Ok! That’s the news for my life these days… maybe I’ll come back tomorrow and work on one of those drafts.
9 Comments
Jenny McMullin
I’m sorry about Luke!! I think I have mentioned before that my brother had eczema pretty bad when he was a little kid. I guess he eventually grew out of it, because I don’t remember him having it when he was older. Poor Lukie. 🙁
I saw a how to article about sauerkraut in a Martha Stewart Living magazine. I’ve been wanting to make it, and kimchi as well. I love that sort of stuff. Where did you get your recipe/how-to information?
Suzanne
I’m glad he grew out of it Jenny! I hope Lucas does too. In the meantime though, we’ve got to get to the bottom of it. It is miserable.
I’ll send you the info on the sauerkraut. I’m hoping to get organized enough to post it on here too. 🙂
Jenny McMullin
Yeah, I would definitely NOT recommend just waiting and hoping he grows out of it!! (Plus I don’t think Joey’s was as bad.) Hope you guys figure it out!
Cynthia A
You are an amazing momma and do not doubt for one moment that what you are doing for Lucas is not the right thing. It is. You are trying to cleanse his body, it takes time. His body will probably react to your elimination also… I would suppose it can overreact as it is getting all the toxins out, which with some foods and such can take a while… I would imagine. I can not imagine being in your situation. Just trust in what you are doing at the moment, and it will come, even if you can just rule out a couple of things… Good for you on the fermenting… I had WK, MK, and KT going hot and heavy and had to stop, the smell is something I can not handle at this point. I will try again! I was planning on making some watermelon WK… It would have been tasty. Remind me and I will add you to the “crazy” FB page on fermenting… good info over my head. You will have to let me know how you WK turns out… I am all over the yogurt, love that (and it tastes soo much better than the store bought stuff!). I am soo happy to have you photo my little guy… 🙂 It will be great! Okay and I have never had sauerkraut –maybe I will have to try it at your place sometime! I want to can soo bad right now- salsa, jam, etc… I loved it when I did the jam last season… it was tasty!
Suzanne
oooh, I didn’t know you were into kefir too! 🙂 Yes, add me to the crazy page. I’m getting crazier every day. 🙂 And Watermelon sounds like a wonderful idea…. Thanks for your kind words. We are hanging in there, determined to figure this out!
Cynthia A
Yeah I would not say I was into it… LOL… Only because I had to stop because of the smell… I will probably pick it up again after Blake is here… 🙂 Yeah I have to add some flavor to my WK, I am weird… My friend make a cherry vanilla WK, she said it was super yummy! I added you to the crazy page, I do not think you are crazy!
Suzanne
Thanks for adding me. 🙂 Cherry vanilla sounds yummy too. I will have to venture out of my boring old pomegranate every time…..
Elle
Sam also had really bad eczema when he was little. I remember putting special lotions on him after baths. He grew out of it too. Have you talked to my mom about it?
Suzanne
It sure seems to run in the family. Andy did too, but not this bad.. I’m glad to hear he grew out of it!