a little inspiration

I'm not going to lie.  This week I am bored with my options and ready for some cheese or tomatoes or salsa.  I opened the calendar to June and wrote on each week what food is going to be re-introduced.  I am so happy that dairy is week one.   I saw the doctor today and am actually up a couple pounds which I am super surprised about.  He said it because I am actually absorbing the nutrients.  After talking about how I have been feeling he suggested also cutting out eggs.  So many foods to miss at one time!  The evening is when it is hardest. I always used to load up on calories after the kids were in bed to make up for what I missed during the day.  Now I just have my smoothie or a rice cake with almond butter, coconut and raw cacao.  The other night I drank four glasses of water after the littles went to sleep and did feel much better the next day. But- two more weeks and then the fun part starts.  Anything is possible!! (ps...

Already it has been over a week since I started this elimination diet . I have felt well over all and not starving too much.  Although I haven't figured out easy things to take along yet (but really, what is simpler than grabbing a couple carrots?  It just seems so boring...) My mind, however, seems to be clearer, lighter.  I've been on cleanse type diets for this long before and had the feeling of lightness in the body but never so much clearness in my thoughts.  I'm eager to see what foods are responsible for the brain fog.  For years I've been blaming it on the children.  I almost feel like I should write an apology!  It's been amazing to see the brightness of the sky, the sparkle of the water this week.  Like I am coming up for air after too long under water.  I've been able to complete work and think through things with out getting bogged down, you see how much I've been writing! I miss tomatoes the most right now.  It mus...

Good morning!  How are you all?  Is anyone still here?  The last couple months have been busy and then this last one has just slammed us all with many new things.  There are several that I'd like to share with you and then I am hoping to share the journey too.  At the same time, since it is not all about me, I need to maintain some boundaries (which I quite admit I am not great at.)  I hope you'll find the journey interesting and you'll share it with other friends who might be going through something similar.  I'd love to start an actual dialogue here instead of just hearing my own voice, so if you have a comment or idea or story to share, please do. The first big change is my diet.  You know I am trained as a Health Coach and many of you know that before my son was born I struggled with Ulcerative Colitis.  Pregnancy and nursing somehow delivered the perfect cocktail of hormones to stop the disease in its tracks but in the last few mon...

I had to use the pun.  You'll forgive me, right? A few months ago I read an article about using an unexpected oil to wash your face.  Castor oil.  It talked all about how it sucks the yucky stuff out of the pores and leaves you with soft smooth skin.  It also mentioned that it can be over drying and it was good to mix it for most people with something else. I immediately thought of honey. I've been using honey off and on for a few years in my skin care regime. It has never seemed like quite enough on it's own.  I have combination skin that tends to be congested. But the last year I see that it is starting to look papery and thin.  In pictures I see an almost unrecognizable face.  I'm not still 17??? I don't fear growing older in most ways.  I don't spend much time in front of the mirror.  I do soul gazing, not skin gazing.  That said, I am human and so seeing the age on my face so obvious in the last year has been hard. ...

I’d had a few nights where I really thought she was coming with gentle contractions forming distinct patterns and continuing for hours at a time.  The previous Saturday when I saw my midwife, Sara, she thought I really looked like I was in early labor and expected to get called back that night.  So when I was still pregnant the following Saturday we talked over my previous birth and how I’d never really gone into labor myself.  She offered me the option of taking some cotton root bark the next time I had contractions to help things move along into a more active pattern.  Something that if my body was as ready as she believed it was would help my body commit.  After having such a confusing week I thought it sounded pretty good. That evening I began having contractions again, stronger than before so I went ahead with the cotton root.  It was also the night of the full moon, called the Wolf Moon by Native Americans and it was bright as a street light shining...

Last weekend, John was sick.  I even let him nap on Sunday afternoon, which means you know he looked really bad.  Pregnant mama's always have things for the papa to do right at the end... Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday E had a fever.  Friday I got it but E seemed better.  This morning E's turned into a horrible cough and by this evening his fever was back.  Luckily, I only had the fever for a few hours on Friday. My mother in law came by Friday and brought soup and this stuff  which seems to have worked a miracle for me.  I am trying to get it into E too, but he is refusing everything but Hyland's Cough and Cold .  And now that he is wheezing we are using his inhaler too. My friend wrote up this great blog for expectant mamas.  She has other great recipes all over her site, too. We have to get rid of this.  I need to have a baby soon.

This is more like what most days feel like.  I am standing still and everyone else is a blur.

It has been busy around here.  The Bug's first day out of school was Monday and we had a brilliant day.  Visited the garden store.  Took Morai (grandma) to the doctor and played at the bookstore.  Enjoyed a pizza together.  Went out to sweep off the front porch.  The Bug fell down seven brick stairs and landed on concrete.  With a baby gate on his head. Wait- that part sucked.   We rushed off to the urgent care place.  I was very happy to find out he didn't have a concussion and all his limbs seemed fine.  Sadly, his face didn't get off so easily.  Two stitches.  But at least we've got that over with now.  I didn't think that I'd ever be able to hold my own child down while someone sewed him up.  But I did.  I think it is amazing what all of us do as parents.  Give us the option and we will do everything in our power to protect, help or comfort our child.  And afterwards, if we need to fall apart, w...

I spent a while this morning trying to get a good picture of my new 'do. It was just me and the auto timer. Set in the normal place on the bedside table. But I was aiming for just the head really. And using the zoom, which I don't usually do. So it was a little tricky.  And the light was bad... Turns out the first one was the best. 

  Another area of primary food is movement.  Some people might call it exercise but I have a hard time spelling that word (the spell check gave me "excessive" and "exorcize" as options. ha!)  It is so interesting to me how all of the research I hear about "healthy" eating is always footnoted with something like, {blank} combined with moderate exercise leads to better health.  Really?  Maybe moderate movement is playing a bigger role.  But it is so hard to get people to start regular movement because just like diet overhaul it seems so overwhelming.  A gym membership, special clothes, looking like an idiot in front strangers.  Not even to mention the sore muscles.  And sweat!  Ug! I'm here to tell you something I heard forever ago that I feel really makes a difference.  It is a big secret- are you ready?  Okay- you are already moving everyday!  You might even already be "exorcising!"  I remember hearing this amazi...

I have been thinking lots of things.  I have been making lots of things.  I have been studying lots of things.  And so, not so much time to write here. One of the things I read from Integrative Nutrition was about using hot water bottles in bed at night to keep you warm and  help digestion.  Since our house is always chilly in the winter and I am a cold footed person I latched on to this idea right away.  And the Bug sleeps in under jams and over jams.  For real.  His room is chilly.  And he has been coming and getting in bed us around one anyway. So we all needed a hot water bottle.  And cozies!  Which we should be able to tell apart.  (because it is important  for some reason not to share cozies ;)  And I had such fun making "boo" .  Of course, I only had time to make two like that.  The last one was just fast as could be. We are getting plenty of use from them.  The whole thing seems s...

Today I cut out an entire quilt in a nap. I even had time to begin to organize the blocks. This was largely thanks to the template that Senor cut out of acrylic and brought home for me. When you don't have to measure the cutting is so fast! Yesterday I had ironed all of the fabric. It is amazing what I can get done with the sewing machine broken... The machine is still down. I need to go try a couple more things but am hesitating and I am not sure why. I really don't want to find out that it is broken for real I guess. I need to find a good repair shop anyway and just suck it up and pay for regular tune ups. *Le sigh* Senor was gone all weekend so I was in single parent land. Wow, single parents are rock stars! I have been away with the Bug before but always to see people who really want to play and help with him (like grandparents) so getting a shower or making food was never an issue. Not that I don't do those things often enough when it is just the two of us...

Ah ha! I am back and still a little tired with a slight hangover like feeling but I think I am really on the mend. I walked all the way to Charles Village and back today so I must not be dying... I don't have any idea what I had. No fever but one afternoon and night of puking followed by a day of thinking I was better followed by a little more sick time. And then I thought I was better, and then I felt bad the next day... quite the roller coaster (ha- with similar results.) Right now I think I am better, again. So if it holds though tomorrow I'm declaring victory. Wish me luck. In other news I am approaching my 200th post on this blog. In honor of sticking with it for so long I am planning a giveaway. Stick around. I promise it will be fun. There are also some things I am trying to get going behind the scenes here and I hope to be able to unveil them at that time as well. There are also a few crafty things floating around that have yet to be photographed so I can sha...

(Please ignore the mess. Focus on the belly...) I took this last week-ish with the intent to share. So there you go, gratuitous belly shot. This week since Thursday I have been battling it out with the flu. I sort of thought I was winning there for a bit but at the moment I am not convinced. At least the fever is over, but now if seems like the crud has moved into my chest. Perhaps to stay. Ugg. I do not recommend the whole pregnant and sick thing- Mom how did you do it?? I had to resort to thinking about Dengue fever and how horrible that would be so I could stand feeling so yuck. I've actually been using that tactic a lot lately. I think, I am so cold and then I start thinking about homeless people and night shift road crews working on burst water lines. Of course this leads to being cold and feeling guilty about not delivering hot chocolate to the homeless as a profession. (Maybe I am still delusional...) But speaking of night shift road crews- On Thursday night when ...

I've been working on making a post for at least a week now. And by "working" I mean "thinking" and not actually "doing" anything at all. I really want to change the banner at the top but always find reasons not to do it. But some of my excuses are pretty good. Like this one: Two nights ago I was really sick which sucked because it was the first day we had been home and I wasn't getting ready for a party at our house the whole vacation. I was so sick that I had to wake up Seńor and ask him to clean up for me because I could not figure out how to get the wall clean. Yeah, that bad... He took it like a champ and said it was good training for having a baby. Can you believe what saint I married?? Ugg, so anyway, I woke up this morning feeling about 1000 times better. Do you ever remember the day after getting over some illness feeling so incredibly well? Maybe I have been sick more than most but this feeling of well-being is always so surprisin...

So, years ago, Seńor and I used to go to yoga every week. We did this for a long while, pretty consistently as I remember. The we went on tour, driving around in an RV for months followed by living in hotels for months and then we came back to Baltimore. Since returning we often say, "We should go back to yoga." or "I felt so much better when we were doing yoga." But weeks and months and life slides by and we hadn't gone. When I got pregnant I knew I had to go back to the studio. I knew that as I got bigger and my balance got wonky it would be important. And I figure labor must be easier if you are in shape... Of course, then I was so sick for the first bit. Tonight, however, all the excuses were used up. I have been looking forward to going all week. Seńor went to the regular hot vinyasa and I went to pre-natal. I did fairly well but realized my legs are really weak. I am used to weak shoulders and arms but I have always had strong legs. I am glad I...

Well, the foot is still not good. I can't tell if things are getting better or worse. It has spread and I have spent some time in the doctors office on iv's of antibiotics. I am back to oral medication now... We'll have to just wait and see. This has been really frustrating for me so keep your fingers crossed, good thoughts flowing or prayers up. I really appreciate it. On a different, funnier note I was working a wedding last night and everything was going perfectly; we were on time, we had everything we were supposed to have, the staff was all there despite a few hiccups. But then I looked around and thought to myself, "Wow, that table over there looks really empty... what goes there? Oh right! The CAKE! Where is the cake??" The cake should have been delivered by then but it was nowhere in sight. I knew there was another wedding going on in the same venue so I went over to find out if they had the cake. When I went to the kitchen no one had seen the ...