Samuel

I know it has been quite some time since I have posted.  You see, I have this post in my head that I've been working on for weeks now.  I just haven't found the time to write it yet.  And now that I have a few minutes to do so, David has the book from which I wanted to quote! 

It's okay, though.  There will be another day for that.  Today is the day before Samuel's 3rd birthday, so I thought I'd take the time to reflect upon that day three years ago when we welcomed our first baby into the world and our life.

I wasn't due until April 10th, 2009, and everyone always says you go late with the first baby.  I had no reason to think that the 7th would be the day.  I got up and went to work at Star Drug as usual, working a 6-hour day as I had been doing since the end of March.  But that day, I knew something was different; I just wasn't sure what that was.  Looking back, I do remember the feeling that the baby was going to fall out every time I walked!  (Possibly gross part alert here!!)  I lost my mucus plug right before lunch, but I asked the girls in the pharmacy and they said that could happen up to two weeks before the baby was born.

I drove over to David's work as I often did over my lunch hour and asked him to get into the car.  "Something is happening."  I told him.  I still didn't believe that it was actually labor, though.  He insisted that I call Labor and Delivery and ask them what to do.  I don't like doing that kind of thing, and to be honest, I was embarrassed to call and just tell someone that "something was different but I don't know what"!  He told them what had happened and the nurse assured him that it could still be a week or two before the baby came.  Then she asked to talk to me and told me that I should probably go home and relax.

I certainly wasn't going to waste a good day, though!  I think I was in the restroom more than I worked that afternoon - I thought that I was constipated.  I have talked to many moms since then who have thought the same thing during labor.  I finished working at 2:30, and my friend Amanda had asked me to stay at her house during her kids' naptime, so I went ahead and did that.  Thankfully the kids stayed asleep - I would not have been a very good babysitter if they'd needed anything!  I laid on the couch for a couple of hours and watched "The Cosby Show" until Amanda's husband Trent came home.  I felt terrible by then, and couldn't wait to get home to my bed; unfortunately my demeanor showed that and it appeared as though I just wanted to get away from Trent :-) 

At home, I made supper as usual, and then headed for the bed.  David was very insistent that we go to the hospital, but I was not about to make a fool of myself and be sent home.  After all, I had an OB appointment the next day!  We ended up calling the hospital a couple of more times, and both times the nurse said no, she didn't think it was labor, and that I should stay at home.  Finally, at about 9:30 the night of the 7th, David coaxed me into the car telling me that we would go to the hospital, get a stool softener, and come home.  I reluctantly went along . . . and by the time we got to the hospital, my "constipation pains" were 2 minutes apart. 

We found out why the nurse had been so quick to tell me to stay home.  She was a very unpleasant lady who clearly did not want to be there.  Not only was she just plain unfriendly, she put the band on my tummy and told me that she couldn't find the baby's heartbeat.  FYI, that is not something that you tell a mom who's ready to give birth!  I told her that she had put the monitor on the wrong side and that I could see the baby's head on the other side.  She didn't believe me until David came into the room and told her the same thing, and sure enough, there it was.  We were so thankful to learn that she was at the end of her shift and that she was leaving a few minutes later.

Since I had been convinced that I wasn't in labor, I would not allow David to call either of our parents until we were in the hospital.  It was 10:15 when we got there, and I was dilated to 6 cm.  Dr. Wenzel, who I absolutely adore, just "happened" to be on call that night - thank you, God!!  It was one of my main concerns that she would be the one to deliver the baby.  At the point where they decided to move me into the delivery room, she was already on her way to deliver another baby of a mom who was on her third child and "goes fast", according to the staff. 

They broke my water and the contractions came so strongly, I changed my mind about the whole "natural" birth thing without an epidural, and I begged for one.  But it was too late.  I was dilated to a 9 and thing were progressing very quickly.  Dr. Wenzel flew into the room just as I was pushing, and Samuel was born at 11:35 that night - quite some time before the lady in the next room, for whom Dr. Wenzel had actually come.  I was in shock.  After all, hadn't I just come in as an obligation to my husband?!

I am in awe as I look back on the experience of our first baby's birth.  God showed Himself in control and mighty.  All of my fears, all of the unknowns that come with a first baby, were taken care of.  As I already mentioned, my own doctor was able to deliver (in fact, she has delivered both of my babies!).  I didn't have to have an epidural, as I had so often prayed I wouldn't have to do.  I didn't have to go through hours at the hospital or be sent home. 

I can't believe it has been three years since Samuel was born - the memories are so clear, as if it only happened last week.  I am so thankful for the beautiful son that God has given us.  For his great sense of humor, for his tender heart, for his love of learning.  I'm thankful that he wants to be just like his daddy, and I pray that he is. 

And most of all, I pray that he comes to know Jesus as his Savior at an early age.  I never fully understood the love of a parent  for a child - the love that God had even as He sent His only Son to die in place of my sins and yours - until I had Samuel.  What a gift He gave us!

Happy Easter as we celebrate Christ's resurrection, and Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet son!

 

My Body: God's Temple

I post quite a bit about healthy (or at least, healthier) recipes, but have never really given a reason for doing so.

 I am sure that many of you who actually read this blog already know that I used to be quite a bit heavier than I am today.  Right now, at the age of 27 and having had two children, I am about 40 lighter than I was in high school and my freshman year of college.  I know it's not all about weight - it's about balance - but for me, weight certainly has a lot to do with my life in so many ways.  It affects the way I view myself, the way others view me, the things that I can do or am willing to do, and so much more.

I have always been "overweight".  I can remember getting a report back from our school nurse when I entered junior high that said I was 200 lbs.  When I think about that, I can hardly believe I was that size at the age of 13!   I struggled with it when I was young - I didn't want to be overweight and unhealthy.  But I also didn't ever believe that I could do much about it.  I remember crying when I was alone, wanting to be a "normal" size like other people, but I don't think I ever let on how much I was hurting.  I just believed I was destined to be that way and nothing I did could change that, so why try?

It wasn't until after my freshman year of college that I saw such a huge need to lose weight and get into shape.  This afternoon as I was looking over some writing I did that first year of college, I reflected on the two experiences that changed my life.  The first was a one-mile hike up an incline in order to reach a castle in Germany.  I wrote about how dreadful that hike was, and how embarrassed I was that the really nice athletic boys that everyone liked had to coach me up that hill.  The second memory is similar; it was a few weeks later in Colorado when I was trying to hike up to Hanging Lake with my college singing team.  A couple of those same guys were nice enough to lag behind in order to help me get to the top.  I was mortified. 

That was the beginning of the end.  The end of the embarrassment, of having to shop in the Women's section, of having to look like an old lady when I was 19.  But it was also just a beginning.  I finally realized that it wasn't my genes that condemned me to this life of shame.  It was myself. 

And something that I didn't even know about then, but have been mulling over lately is that not only is it important to mine and my family's health to be careful about overindulgence and to keep up at least somewhat of an activity level; it is actually pleasing to God. 

Consider these passages:

1 Cor. 6:12 NIV Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.  (And the love of food was definitely something that mastered me)

1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Or, as I was just reading last week in 1 Samuel, there is the example of Eli the priest.  I have always wondered how his sons turned out to be wicked when Eli was so godly.  Then I read it again; Eli was actually reprimanded by God for taking the "choicest meats" from the sacrifice and for overindulging.  He was the one who taught his sons to be so selfish in the first place by his example - his sin of gluttony!

As I am learning more and more of God's desire for us to glorify Him in everything that we do, I am convinced that part of that is in taking care of our physical bodies.  I remember hearing a man who was not a believer during his younger years tell of his disdain for his college president, who stood up front telling the students not to drink or smoke.  He told these students that they must have control over their bodies and what they put into them, yet the president clearly had no control over the food that he put into his own body as he was at least a hundred pounds overweight.  The students listening to him scoffed at his hypocrisy.

So am I opposed to eating some unhealthy foods?  Am I saying that I think we should exercise, exercise, all the time?  Absolutely not!  After all, the key to everything in life is balance.  Any one thing - whether that is food, alcohol, exercise, another person - can become an idol when its value is placed above God. 

My goal in this post is simply to explain my view of health and our bodies at this point in my life.  I adore a good creamy, cheesy dip as much as the next girl.  But I also love that God gave us so many delicious fruits, veggies, and grains to enjoy as well!  I want my testimony to be that of someone who loves God and who believes that her body is a temple - a vessel to be used for His honor and glory.  And from where I stand today, I believe that part of that honor and glory comes when I take care of the vessel that He has given to me.

Weeknight Apple Cake

I had made this recipe once before after finding it in a Taste of Home Cooking School edition magazine and decided to rename it from "Moist Apple Cake" to "Weeknight".  First reason: I'm not a huge fan of the word, "moist".  Second reason: since it's not terrible for you, you don't have to wait to the weekend to eat it! 

 

Samuel went on a walk with Daddy to pick up some ice cream - a reward for finishing his potty training - so Julia and I had some much-needed one-on-one time in the kitchen.  She helped by putting the diced apples into the bowl and helping me stir together all the ingredients.

You can put the cake batter into a regular 9x13 pan, or into a bundt pan, which is how I like to do it - the presentation is so much prettier!

When the boys got home we ate dinner, and then had an unexpected party.  We didn't really mean to have the whole shebang in celebration, but since David and Samuel were picking up ice cream and I already had the cake on the menu . . . we decided to have a party.



Happy Big Boy Underwear, Samuel! 

Weeknight Apple Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar (I only use about half that)

1/2 c. applesauce

4 c. (appx. 2 lbs) apples, diced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine sugar, applesauce, and apples in a large bowl.  Mix in eggs and nuts. 

In another bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add to apple mixture and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour.  Sprinkle with additional sugar or powdered sugar if desired. 



Blackened Chicken and Beans

Here is one of our most favorite healthy recipes ever!  No allergens here, people!  Just chicken, spices, beans, corn, and some salsa.  And the best part: it can easily be recycled to make the leftovers into something totally different. 

I should have recorded the process . . . but it was such a nice day when I made these on Tuesday, here is what I was taking pictures of instead:

 

David brought the dump truck home so he could sleep a little later and not have to back track.  Samuel was one thrilled little boy, and I'm happy I got these and the chicken didn't burn!

Next time I make this dish, I think I'll double the bean and corn mixture.  My family really loved it so I only had one serving left, which I mixed in with taco meat today.  A little more would have been even better!  And the chicken - I made a little extra and saved half back immediately after cooking it, and I plan to use that for quick fajitas on Saturday.  I also cut the breast halves into strips so that it would cook a little faster and it would be easier for the kids to eat.

Blackened Chicken and Beans

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. frozen corn

1 c. chunky salsa

Combine the chili powder, salt and pepper; rub over both sides of chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for abouat 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Remove and keep warm.

Add the beans, corn, and salsa to skillet; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve with chicken.

What a refreshingly simple and healthy dish.  Definitely a keeper - can't wait to make it again!

Skinny Enchiladas

I've been looking for at least somewhat healthy on Pinterest.  It's not that easy to find them sometimes!  After an enchilada experiment that had my whole family turning their noses (so the sauce was green, who cares?!), they were relieved when this one turned out quite well.  We had just enough left for lunch the next day!

I thought I turned this picture . . . oh well.  I started by grilling the chicken on our beloved indoor grill for great flavor!

While that cooked, I mixed up the sauce - just some salsa and some Greek yogurt.  So easy!

Shred the chicken with two forks.

Mix sauteed veggies with some Greek yogurt for the filling.

Fill tortillas, top with sauce and cheese, and bake!

So really, the only differences I made from the original recipe were in the cheese.  I used full-fat, because I'm not really a low-fat kinda girl.  And I also (obviously) used more than 1/4 cup on the top.  But all things considered, it was still a pretty healthy meal.  

Skinny Enchiladas

Filling:

1 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped bell pepper

1/2 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

1/2 c. low-fat shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese

Sauce:

3/4 c. salsa

1/4 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 c. low-fat shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam spray

2. Saute onions and peppers in olive oil until onions are brown

3. Mix veggies with nonfat yogurt, chicken, and cheese

4. Spread appx. 1/4 c. chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up, and place seam down in dish

5. Mix salsa and Greek yogurt in a bowl and spread evenly onto tortillas.  Sprinkle with cheese.

6. Place foil over dish and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Debt vs. Family

I put in a two-week notice at my evening job last  night.  It was bittersweet telling my supervisor that I would be leaving, knowing that it will leave a gap that they will have to fill, but today I am filled with joy as I watch my children and know that after next Thursday, we can finally be a "normal" family (and normal may be relative!).

Since having children, we really have not been what I would call "normal" because we've been on such a mission to earn income.  Now, I have to say, we have no high hopes of becoming rich by any means . . . we just made a few un-wise decisions early in our marriage that we had to live with and learn from for the past few years.  As I mentioned in a previous post, we are committed to getting out of debt, which means paying off all of our student loans.  After that our only debt will be the mortgage, and we can live with that!

So why would I quit my job?  Normal to us would be where Daddy goes to work, and when he comes home, the family is together - eating, conversing, working on a project - just together.

After making our "bad" decisions (though we've come to realize they were necessary and God used them to teach us to follow Him better), we spent several years playing catch-up.   We had more bills than income, and were constantly trying to fill those gaps.  So David started a demolition business.  I started selling Discovery Toys.  David got a job at McDonald's.  I got jobs at the mall and as a janitor at a local manufacturing plant. 

None of these were bad things to do.  There is no problem with starting a business or selling something out of your home, but we didn't have the capital to be able to make them turn a profit.  There is no problem with getting a second job, but we let those jobs take time from our family.  When David was at McDonald's, he was working about 16-20 hours a day, leaving me at home alone with the kids. While I've been working, David and I meet at the door and he comes in while I'm going out.  Our only time at home together is Wednesdays and weekends.  We're usually busy on Fridays and Saturdays, so we've started using time that we would usually attend church to stay at home and have that family time we've been missing.

We started talking about it and questioning how we could possibly get out of debt, and one of us working a second job seemed like the only way.  Then we met with our CPA to do our taxes.  She is an awesome, godly lady who is familiar with what we are trying to do and has also been through Financial Peace University.  She worked with us and helped us to find a way David can prevent the govenment from taking so much out of his paycheck (yes, it's totally legal!).  And that amount is equal to what I have been making the past few months at my job!

We doubted, we didn't trust that God would take care of our desire and honor our commitment to be debt-free.  Yet, He still provided a way when we didn't expect it!  How awesome! And so, last night my job began to end.  I have 5 more nights of working, and I am so looking forward not only to having evenings at home being a mommy to my children and a wife to my husband, but to going back to church for more than just the morning service. 

I am so thankful for a God who does care about us, who wants us to follow Him and to train our children to do the same.  He provided for us in spite of our best efforts to do so ourselves. 

Eph. 3:20-21 has long been one of my favorite passages: "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever"!!

Unexpected Allergies: Part 2

We went to see the allergist (whew!  boy, do I have a story on the payment for that one!  but that's another day . . .) in August, two months after the initial wheezing/coughing/hives outbreak in June.  She was wonderful.  She spent about 2 hours in the room with us, talking about all of Samuel's issues and figuring out for what we would be testing that day.  Samuel sat like a champ through 18 scratch tests on his little arms and waited for them to show us our results.  We were pretty surprised - he tested positive for 13 of them. 

Grass.
Dust mites (several kinds).
Cat hair.
Dogs.
Horses.
Pollen.
Soy.
Eggs.
PEANUTS.

The soy and eggs were actually miniscule in comparison to the others, so at this point, we have been told that they shouldn't affect him too much.  But peanuts??  Oh, that one was reeeeeally bad!  Samuel hated PB&J and all other peanut things for a long time, but peanut butter is so convenient, I forced it upon him only months before until he liked it at least somewhat.  Not to mention, there are lots of foods that are manufactured with peanuts in the same plant, so we need to avoid those, too.

And dust . . . who doesn't have dust in their house?  We were advised to clean our house as spotless as possible, as often as possible.  And we're supposed to get rid of our carpet (fortunately only one room of our house is carpeted and the rest is hard wood).  I was interested to learn that it's dust mites.  I didn't even know there was a difference.

 And she told us to keep our windows shut during high pollen times, and that Samuel shouldn't spend a lot of time playing in the grass, especially in the heat, as his eczema is exacerbated by being too warm.

Then there was the prescribed medication, which after a couple of months we realized was triggering outbursts of anger in our sweet boy.  We took him off of that pretty quickly after figuring that out!

We've learned since that Samuel is extremely allergic to bean dust . . . which is a problem since Daddy is a farmer!  We found that out after Samuel took a ride in the combine this fall and I ended up driving about 75 mph the entire 7-mile trip home with him choking in the backseat.  Talk about a helpless moment.  As a result, all through harvest David had to come home and take everything off at the back door, then jump into the shower before touching or even being within a few inches of Samuel.

Samuel's legs during the bean dust outbreak.  Here, he was on the nebulizer while I sponge bathed him in a chair.

So far, we have been with or close to Samuel's nebulizer and a bottle of Benadryl each time he has had an allergic reaction, and for that we are extremely thankful.  We carry epipens, but have not yet had to use one.  (Although, Samuel did administer one to himself at Thanksgiving just "for fun", haha)

As far as these allergies, aside from the bean dust which causes immediate anaphylaxis (throat closing), the hardest part for us is that none of the others cause such a reaction.  Think of it this way.  You have an 8 oz. cup in front of you and pitchers of allergens in your hand.  Pour in 3 oz. of peanut, 2 oz. of dog dander,  and then 4 oz. dust mites, and the cup is suddenly running over with allergens.  This is what causes the reaction.  Sometimes we don't know if or how much Samuel has been exposed to one allergen, and don't realize it until there is just too much for his little system.  There are also likely other things Samuel is reacting to that we have not yet tested, so we try to keep track of exposures as much as possible.

Samuel has constant eczema issues and needs thick lotion once or more per day, and sometimes uses a topical steroid as well.  I show his legs here, but during outbreaks, his hands and eyes are usually swollen as well.  As seen in the photos, Samuel's eczema is a day-to-day issue that is worse some days than others.  We just spent a few minutes outside and he already has the hives all over his right hand and arm. 

Samuel's legs today - a good day!



Backs of Samuel's legs today

 Samuel is also very sensitive to temperature - he overheats from very little exertion, which as mentioned before makes skin/breathing problems worse, and he gets very cold much more quickly than most of us as well.

As far as our eating . . . I am all for sugary, yummy treats.  But a friend in the medical world as well as others have told us that sugar weakens the immune system if it is already weak.  And Samuel definitely has a weakened immune system.  So while we enjoy some sugar still, we have really tried to cut that amount way down.  I don't know for sure if it's helping or not, but we at least feel like we're doing something good!

As I mentioned in the last post, we are just so thankful for God's provision since June, that we have always been close to our nebulizer and Benadryl when Samuel has had a reaction.  We will need to continue to see the allergist once a year and continue to do testing, but the hope is that he will outgrow at least some of the allergies by kindergarten. 

We pray that none of this is a lasting condition, but until he outgrows it or until eternity . . . we'll keep trusting the Lord to show us how to help our son.