Wednesday, April 30, 2008

one EXHAUSTED mom here.

the migraine of 4 days has finally being subdued in just enough time for Hunter's class Field Trip to Sea World. It was long and short all at the same time & I'm too exhausted to do much more than post some pictures. I've got to get some rest before our trip to Garner State Park this weekend.

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Monday, April 28, 2008

what's been going on in our world.

so much! WOW!

let's start with Popo's birthday weekend. We kicked off Friday night with the Yoakum Relay for Life event. The boys and I headed down to participate & they had a blast. I think Jayden actually ran 12 laps while Hunter entered all of the contests to try and win. I was so proud of my guys. Though they were never able to meet my Meme, they would have made her proud with all of their efforts in the event.

We attempted to take pictures in what was left of the bluebonnets & the boys weren't as thrilled as I was to be trying this.
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Aunt Marsais & Uncle Kenny came down to celebrate Pope's b-day weekend. The boys got to take an extra special ride in Aunt Marsais' car as we went to Sweet Berry Farms to pick strawberries. I'm not sure who had more fun, Aunt Marsais, Hunter or Jayden.
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We made Popo an ice cream cake for his birthday for everyone to enjoy.
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Hunter has started t-ball & is having a blast. He has decided he wants to be a catcher & is a switch hitter. Jayden is, of course, his biggest fan!
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Popo worked extremely hard with Hunter & he's now riding his bike like crazy! This has prompted Jayden to want to ride without training wheels also.
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and just like when I was little, Popo promised Hunter a trip to McDonald's when he learned to ride past the big tree near the end of the driveway. Hunter was so excited to call the other night to say Popo was taking him on a special trip. I think this is what prompted Jay to want to ride his also.

We took time away to take the boys camping at Lake Sommerville this past weekend. We knew we had a chance for severe weather but how often does the weather man say that? The boys were in hog heaven when we arrived. Looking at this, who wouldn't be?
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Nana and Popo came by Friday night to visit & we all enjoyed sitting around the camp fire. We were a little worried when it began to rain but nothing could have prepared us for the night we went through. I swear it rained for hours upon hours and thankfully, we never got wet. The rain wasn't near as bad as the wind that then was graced upon us. Our tent was literally folding in half on top of us. It would whip from one side to the other. The boys slept through it all, leaving Kreg and I to try and keep us all from suffocating. It was all worth it to get up and enjoy the beautiful weather on Saturday.
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Hunter spent so much time trying to 'catch' the 'floating' shad to bring home. He had them all named & thought they were going to live with him in his room. Somehow I managed to pry them out of his hands with the notion we'd get a 'real' pet fish.

From the kite flying, scootering riding, all day & night fishing, weinnie roasting, playground playing, & tent sleeping, Kreg and I were left exhausted and the boys having a blast.

It makes us look forward to doing it all over again this weekend at Garner State Park in celebration of Kreg's birthday. This time Uncle Justin and Nana & Popo will be joining us for the whole trip.

And now on to the 'other' news. As my parents were heading home Saturday night along a back road, they stumble across a hat and shoe in the road. They looked at each other and slowed down. What they saw next, frighteded them. A body on the side of the road. Mom calls 911 who then wants them to turn around to see if the body needed an ambulance. Dad stated under no circumstances was anyone getting out of the car. And from the way the body was laying, the didn't think an ambulance was needed. Finally the Sheriff's deptarment & other various ententies show up & then keep my parents there for over an hour and a half. We still don't know much but you can read about it here.

Jayden's corn free diet has been going well. I get frustrated very easily with shopping at our local HEB but we are truckin' along. Since we've started this almost 2 weeks ago, we've taken him off Singulair & haven't had to do one neb treatment. He's had 1 asthma attack after eating an ice cream bar with corn syrup in it. At least I knew why the attack was happening. With having to pay special attention to all labels now, it's quite amazing how much stuff contains corn startch and high frutose corn syrup. Sometimes the worst culprites are Reduced Fat or 1/3 fat items. Shocking. So many things are still hit & miss but things hopefully one day will become more natural to us. And things have been so much more calm for all of us. Even a doctor noticed the other day how calm he was in the office. Instead of the usual bouncing all the walls, he sat and colored very quietly by himself. It was a little eerie. For the LOVE of mexican food, I will give it up to have a happy & calm child.

I wanted to post the article that lead me to find out what was going on with Jayden. It and along with the asthma attack in the middle of Kenny's wedding that left me grasping for answers, really helped me to find answers.

Food Sensitivities: The Hidden ProblemsRobert J. Doman, MD.
Parents today are often concerned about possible allergies in their children, but they are relatively unfamiliar with possible food sensitivities and their complications.

Check the following list. If three or more apply to your child, food sensitivity may be a problem:

Sometimes congested
History of ear infections
Behavior; frequent ups and downs
Poor attention span at times
Night or morning coughing spells
Variable hearing; sometimes good, sometimes poor
Post-nasal drip
Headaches
Periods of restlessness

Although the problems listed above undoubtedly have a number of possible causes, food sensitivities must be considered as one of the most likely.

When you think of allergies, you often think of hives or a skin rash, but the symptoms of food sensitivities are generally not as obvious or as dramatic as those of allergies. As a result, we describe them as hidden problems—this is particularly true with children. Common symptoms of food sensitivity are congestion of the nose and throat, often accompanied by headaches and post-nasal drip.

Food sensitivities can be quite variable. Certain foods frequently, but not always, cause problems. For example, eating a suspected food during the daytime when the child is active may cause little or no problem. However, the same food eaten before bedtime may lead to severe congestion through the night and the next morning. As a result, bedtime snacks, in particular, need to be avoided by children with food sensitivities.

What are the most common foods to which your child might be sensitive? Dr. Feingold, in his book Why Your Child Is Hyperactive, gave a long list which included foods and products with additives, including color additives, etc., and foods containing natural salicylates, including many fruits and some nuts. Contact your local Feingold Association for more details on his program.
NACD generally recommends that parents who suspect a food sensitivity in their child consider an elimination type of diet. By this we mean gradually eliminating certain potential offenders such as milk products, chocolate, citrus fruits, wheat, etc. When you eliminate the worst offenders, you may see a definite change in the child for the better.

If congestion of the nose and throat is one of your child's symptoms, you should be alert to potential ear problems. As adults, the sinus spaces in our skulls tend to act as buffers for infections of the nose and throat. Children have small underdeveloped sinus spaces so that nose and throat infections are generally pushed back quickly into the middle ear via the Eustachian Tube in the throat.

Pediatricians, although good at treating ear infections, often miss its most common hidden complication—fluid in the middle ear after the infection. Fluid in the middle ear often causes many of the problems listed earlier in this article, and is frequently undetected by parents and pediatricians even when the eardrum is looked at.

If you suspect such a problem in your child, you should take your child to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist and ask for a simple, easy, and safe test called a Tympanogram. The test takes only ten minutes and does not even require the child's cooperation. The doctor simply blows some air against the eardrum (Tympanic Membrane) to measure its motion. If fluid is present behind the drum, the doctor might recommend that small plastic ear tubes be inserted.
It has also been recommended that children with recurrent ear infections gargle twice a day with warm water in order to keep the Eustachian tube open.

Be aware of such possible problems in your child and attempt to eliminate foods causing congestion.

you don't want to miss this one.

so I didn't get to update as promised but that's because we were preparing for our camping trip to Lake Sommerville.

And while this weekend was anything but DULL, I'll have to update the blog later. And you will want to check back not only for pictures of the boy's weekend in paradise but for the story of how we managed to survive what we describe as hurricane force wind and rain and the hotest news story around town involving a dead body and my parents. You won't want to miss this one.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Quick check-in!

Things are going great! I've got hundreds of pictures to upload from our recent adventures. But we've seen a vast improvement in Jayden since trying a 'corn-free' diet. As usual, we've been busy with a variety of things, Relay for Life, T-Ball, swimming, and more. I'll post some pictures later today.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Moment of truth.

So today was the BIG allergy test day. And I'm SO proud of my little 4 year old & the way that he handled everything. He wasn't nearly as bad as I thought he was going to be.

And while I am finally relieved to have some answers, I'm actually left just that much more frustrated.

My poor Jayden.

From the moment the child was 5 months old and we switched from breastmilk to formula, my happy, easy, low-key baby changed forever. He was plagued with itchy skin rashes, running nose, wheezing, & allergy induced asthma. We went through a nightmare, rough couple of months trying to figure out the formula issue. It was then, at about 6-7 months, he underwent his first round of allergy testing. We didn't suspect much from it and we didn't get much from it. But he spent the rest of his life under a year on Alimentum. We struggled to get the wheezing and eczema under control. And as you can see, we still haven't succeeded.

From that moment on, he seems like his health has somewhat been a constant battle. And topple that with his mood & behavior at times, and things haven't been the easiest.

You guys know me & have read the blog. I've learned to laugh, cry, & try not to do bodily harm to myself or him. He hasn't always been easy.

Somewhere under the defiant, aggressive, agitated, uncooperative, & moody child, was a sweet innocent loving little boy. I knew it & I'd seen it.

I am constantly put down because I refuse to treat the mood swings & behavior problems with beating my child. Or punishing him in a way that's as violent as he can get.

Something told me things just weren't right.

I've spent countless hours scouring the internet for answers, most of the time scared $hitless by what I read. But something finally triggered inside me & told me there had to be a food allergy somewhere. There just had to be something we were missing.

I never thought it would be what we are now working on trying to eliminate.

CORN.

The skin test for corn was pretty prevalent. Closely followed by SOY in the food category.

Now the scary part, the tests aren't 100% accurate. But, given his history & problems, we could be close to 100%. I pray. And I pray hard.

So now I am met with the biggest challenge of my life, thus far. For 2 weeks, we have to eliminate corn.

I challenge you to look into your pantry and fridge and discover just how much of what we eat and drink is laced with corn, corn: syrup /oil / meal / starch / sugar. It's OVERWHELMING, to say the least.

And instead of getting the support I need to do this, I'm met with SO many condescending remarks. From being told that this is impossible and he will just have to learn to deal with it, I'm really left speechless and in tears.

Can't he just stay on medication the rest of his life? You know you can't eliminate corn completely. Why waste your time and worry? He'll learn to deal with it. Your being stupid.

How, just how, can people be so mean?

Is it right for anyone, especially a child, be left to deal with something that is out of his control & left to someone he is suppose to trust?

How can any parent turn their back on a child & not want to help them?

Why should any child be left to suffer when changes can be made to help them?

Isn't it our duty as parents to not have to watch our children suffer?

Granted, I could be so far off base here with Jayden & the connection between his behavior issues & a food allergy/intolerance, but don't I owe him to find out. What if I'm not off base? Only the next 2 weeks will tell.

Please give me the strength to dig deep & be able to put the nasty comments & reactions behind me. Jayden deserves it. He doesn't deserve the reputation of being rowdy, hard to handle & nuisance if it isn't his fault. He doesn't deserve being treated with such negativity.

There's also the fun of being allergic to every tree, grass & animal around. And dust mites. My poor child.

And an interesting tidbit..........for those with dust mite allergies. You have to wash all bedding in water 140 degrees or warmer to actually kill dust mites. If you wash in 139 degrees, you will just have really clean dust mites. So I'm off to adjust the water heater to be sure I'm KILLING those little buggers so that my kids get a good, allergy free good nights sleep. They deserve it, even if it only makes me work a little harder.

My kids deserve a good quality of life if I can help control what makes them happy & healthy individuals.

If I can cut back on the $10 bottle of Zrytec every 4 days, the $30 Singulair a month, the $30 Elidel every month, the $30 Nasonex a month, and let's not forget the Albuterol, Pulmnicort, & Xoeponex that adds up to about another $75 a month..................WOW.

Eating a healthy diet just might be good for all of us. It can't hurt right?

Hey, if I could possibly get a happy, less moody, less aggressive child out of this, it's worth the world to me know matter what anybody in the world says.







Monday, April 14, 2008

Children Learn What They Live

it's really been a tough couple of days. Jayden started his round of steroids before we go in for allergy testing. He's been very trying. I don't think I've ever stopped & taken this many deep breaths before.

This day and age it's SO hard to raise kids without so much disapproval around you. It seems like it is a constant struggle. Some days I feel like everything I do gets eye rolls or disapproving laughs or snickers. Why does it sometimes seem like the whole world is working against you? Why is it so hard for people to be happy for one another & the decisions that they make?

Our kids are growing up in a far different world then we ever did. Times have changed and they haven't necessarily changed for the better. Our kids see more, they know more, they experience more, they grow up so much faster.

They see the way we are constantly put down for the way we raise them. They hear the constant disapproval we get after decisions. And while we have the hardest time dealing with every one's opinion, we need to remember —It doesn't matter. They are OUR children and it's what we do that they will remember.

I just don't want to be remembered as a mom that screamed at my children or one who threatened bodily harm if my wishes are not adhered to. And that's why I choose to make the decisions I do and why I've learned to let everyone else's opinion's roll off my shoulder. It's all about that makes me and them happy. Everyone else just needs to realize that. I want my children to be respectfull and obediently comply with my wishes, not cower in fear of what they think a parent might do to them. Children learn what they live, and they will grow up to pass the same onto their own children.

Our Children our highest privilege. There is nothing more important we can do. They are our heaviest burden. There is nothing more difficult we can do. They are our greatest opportunity. There is nothing more satisfying we can do.

Once upon a time, while shopping, I came across this beautiful poem about children upon a wall hanging. I had it in my hand to buy when I was snubbed, laughed at and made fun of & told how ridiculous it was. But I did and still believe what it says and have since then learned not to care what everyone else thinks. These are my kids & I'll raise them just the way I want to. They are the ones I will leave a mark on. They are what's important to me.

Children Learn What They Live:


If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

busy little life.

in between the Antique Fair, Brad Pitt, T-Ball, the MS150 and our normal hectic life, things have been BUSY around here.

and in case you don't keep up with good 'ole PerezHilton.com or any other celeb gossip (I know, who has the time!) Brad Pitt was around La Grange this weekend.

Friday, while I'm hanging out at the MOPS garage sale, Justin gives me a call to tell me he saw Angelina Jolie in Wal-Mart in Bastrop. Her and Brad Pitt and the clan are staying in Smithville to film a movie. Justin's coach stopped Angelina and asked to take pictures with her, but the body guard informed everyone, it was family time. But that's didn't stop any of the tennis players from snapping pictures with their cell phone camera's.

Saturday, while my girlfriends and I are out browsing the Antique Fair in Round Top, we learn Brad Pitt is at the courthouse and Angelina is shopping at various shops around the Courthouse Square.

So this little town is buzzing.

And while the Antique Fair has winded down, we are gearing up for the MS150 this weekend.

And I've truly forgotten how much fun the Antique Fair is to browse. My girlfriends and I spent the weekend scouting out a place to have a booth this fall and trying to decide if it was worth it.

It was so GREAT to see so many of my friends who made it down to shop this semi-annual event and those who didn't make it, need to make plans to come down this fall! Seriously! Who can pass up the chance to shop at one of the world's biggest Flea Markets?

T-ball has started up and Hunter is enjoying himself. We are on the Astros again this year which is great that Jayden can wear last year's uniform to support his brother.

I have to have a good chuckle because everyone seems to have such a hard time telling the boys apart around here. From family to friends, if they aren't used to being around the boys, they don't know which is which. Almost everyone thinks they are twins and then can't ever tell who's older. They are basically the exact same size these days.

And whoever thought the 2 and 3's were terrible, haven't met my Ferocious 4 year old. WOW. This age is so hard on him. I think it's the independence he wants yet the fact that he will always be the 'baby.' Somedays I just want to sit and cry with him.

Thankfully the weather has been nice and we've been taking advantage of it by playing in the water every afternoon.

The boys planted a tomato plant and are already excited as can be that a tomato has sprouted. They carefully watch it each day to see how much it has grown. Man how I wish I could plant a HUGE garden. But darling little Jezabell keeps me from doing so. But if she keeps up her behavior of barking ALL NIGHT LONG we might have to trade her for the garden. And I swear, as much as I love dachshunds, they have the most annoying bark.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Let's Go ............................

Antiquing!

It's that time of year here again, Antique Week or shall I say, month. They've been setting up everywhere since before Easter! But this is the week everything starts to wind down or start up, however you look at it.

Thousands of people from all over the country make the trek to Round Top and Warrenton for the antiques fair. And they invade La Grange.

Everyone wants to go, every day, all day. And it's so much fun.

So leave the kids & husbands at home and come for a visit.

You don't want to miss the one Antique Event/Flea Market that's been advertised all over the world.