Category: Josiah

Ammendment to Day 4 and some WICKED FUN!

So yesterday, we did end up needing to pick some food up and that birthday present that I mentioned.

Jon and the kids went and picked out the B-day present while I put Siah to sleep for his afternoon nap. They spent a bit more than I would have, but it’s still okay. The Model Airplane and Cement Glue cost a total of $17.78 which brought our total to $51.95.

Then we needed to pick up some stuff that I hadn’t thought of in my bleary eyed stupor when I posted yesterday. I had made a list and stuck to it except for 2 things…..rice cakes & cereal….both things that the baby can eat.

I needed to pick up some non-dairy butter because Siah has a Dairy Allergy and while some of the family can use butter, it makes it difficult to always be on top of everyone to not share their popcorn or toast and I have to be extra dilligent about what goes into Siah’s mouth and what has dropped on the floor so, it’s just easier in our family to get the non-dairy spread. We use Earth Balance. It is DELICIOUS and it is actually cheaper than organic butter by $2 for the same amount of “spread”. Another bonus is that I can use it in my baking just like butter and the baking comes out just as good as if I’d used butter….no weird spreading or greasy texture.

So, we went to Pricesmart and I decided that if the prices weren’t GROSSELY inflated compared to Superstore that I’d just pick up what I needed there and save the gas money.

So, we got Almond Milk (for myself and Siah – he can’t handle large amounts of soy either…more on that in a moment), bananas, 5lb bag of apples, Earth Balance Spread, Puffed Kamut Cereal, Rice Cakes, 10lbs Potaotes, Espresso Coffee Beans…..all for $42.00.

So that brings our total up to $93.95.

While I was at the store I realized that there were a few more things that we need. I need some more veggies – celery, peppers, lettuce, zucchini…..that kinda thing, but I’ll get those next week at a local Farmer’s Market, and Brown Rice. On the list they go!

Saturday’s Meals:
Breakfast – Grand Slam Breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns, mini pancakes, farmer sausage)
Dinner – Coconut Curry with Tofu over Brown Rice

Sunday’s Meals:
Breakfast – Oatmeal with Soy Milk
Dinner – Veggie Chicken Soup with Brown Rice

So, I’m pretty certain that we are staying away from the stores today, and for more than one reason.

Onto the the “WICKED FUN” aspect of this post….

Siah had an allergic reaction to something last night and I spent the whole night cradling and cuddling him and then holding him over the top of a bucket while he retched his little guts out.

Yah, he spent the whole night either puking or dry heaving.

It was EXACTLY the same as the two times when he had some dairy tinged probiotic when he was 2 and 3 months old minus the watery diarrhea – so last night was only half the fun it could have been.

It was awful and finally around 5am his stomach was finally settled enough that he wanted to nurse and then he fell asleep until 6am and then nursed again, and so far everything has stayed down. Jon let me sleep until 11am, and then I nursed him again and he is sleeping right now.

I think that it was the tofu…..

– POST BREAK –

I had to stop posting to take a “potty break” (either this is a SUPER LONG post or I’m just a really REALLY slow typer) and when I went into my ensuite to take care of business I realized that my bedroom door had been shut, the blinds drawn, and there was a lump under the covers. Xandra is dressed in a beautiful princess dress, and is under my covers..all the way under the covers watching a movie on her iPod. When I asked her what she was doing, her response was that it was warm and dark in my room, and especially under my covers and that she was just relaxin’….what a little sweetheart!

– RESUME POST –

I think that it was the tofu and I knew that he couldn’t handle big amounts of soy, and in my excitment to “try” a meatless meal – I never put the two together…stupid me. Do you know the guilt that racks you knowing that you most likely caused your son to have a brutal night? It’s not fun! NOT! AT! ALL!

So, I’m tired, and hoping that I can snag one more nap today sometime. We skipped church today because I wasn’t getting up and I definately wasn’t taking Siah anywhere. So, the other two kids are bored and Jon has just settled down to have a “video game tournament” with them.

I’m going to go and have another coffee and try to wake up….fun times, people, FUN TIMES – I tell you!

Day 4 today and all is well!

Well, yesterday had its difficult moments.

I did go out to the store and spent some money on something business related, BUT….it was totally necesary.

What wasn’t necessary was the Subway sandwich combo that I needed because I had been very bad with my time and ended up with a major blood sugar low, BUT….I didn’t get it. I wanted to. OOOOOOHHHHHHHH! How I wanted to! I managed to resist by asking Jon how much lunch for the two of us would cost, and when he said $14, and I knew that I could go home and make $2 worth of soup for the two of us (plus baby) – well, we just drove home. I’ll admit, though, if I could have justified the expense somehow, I would have – and I was trying to figure out a way to justify it. I was trying REALLY hard!

I made it past that temptation and carried on with my day.

Just for posterities sake (and to get it over with)

Thursday’s Meals
Breakfast – Eggs and Toast
Dinner – Vegetarian Chili & Brown Rice

Friday’s Meals
Breakfast – Eggs and Toast
Dinner – Veggie Stirfry with Chicken over Rice Noodles

Today we have to go and buy a birthday present for a 10 year old boy. I’ve already determined that we are going to Michaels with their 40% off coupon and getting a present for under $20 which means that it will be around $10 with the coupon.

Aside from that I don’t have anything on my Shopping List right now and so my total spent still stands at $34.17, and for us – that is pretty mch a miracle….even though it is only 4 days into the month….let’s see how well I’m doing at the end of the month.

***< STORE STUFF >***

I mailed out the first few orders yesterday – so a huge THANK YOU to all who bought. It feels amazing to have this working out. There are just 3 more days in the buy 2 get the 3rd (of equal or lesser value) for free sale – so if you were thinking of getting in on that deal…that was your reminder.

***< /STORE STUFF >***

Yesterday was a bit of a rough day for Siah, he seems to be falling over quite a bit, and I’m not sure if he’s just getting more confident or if he’s fallen one too many times and I need to take him back to the chiropractor for an adjustment.

He really smacked himself up good yesterday. He was playing by the block box and bopped up and down and smacked his lip on the corner. Then he started screaming – A LOT! and the BLOOD….oh my goodness the blood. When I got close enough to check things out there was a split on both the inside of the lip and the outside of the lip and it looked like he had put his little razor sharp bottom tooth right through his bottom lip. NASTY!

So, it bled…he cried….I mopped up blood and tried to comfort him, but I imagine that it hurt brutally bad. You can see the bruise under or inside the lip all the way through from the inside to the outside. It looks awful, and if it feels as awful as it looks, is it any wonder that he was up as much as he was last night. Fun times, let me tell you, FUN TIMES!

He also managed to fall over and hurt himself about 4 other times yesterday, but just general bumps and hurts – nothing major like the lip. Poor little kid – or maybe I should say poor mother….he is seriously a crawling machine and it takes a ton of energy to just stay on top of him and to make sure that he hasn’t made it up on top of the fridge to get to the cereal boxes, eh Momma?

Well, I’m gonna go and started cutting up the potatoes to make our BIG SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST. We usually eat a big breakfast a bit late on Satuday mornings, and it is both breakfast and lunch. Today we are having hashbrowns, eggs and Farmer Sausage. YUMMY!

Only the Second Time

Man, We’ve been doing this parenting gig for over 12 years now and for only the second time in that 12 years we’ve had to call poison control.

I think that’s a pretty good track record. I mean, I’d love it if we hadn’t had to call them ever, but for how……….energetic, and inventive my children are….I think that’s a decent number. In fact, I’m surprised that we aren’t on a first name basis with the fine folks over at the Poison Control Call Center.

The last time we called was when Jeremy swallowed a penny….that was SO MUCH FUN…you know…..waiting for the penny to drop…..literally!

Fun time, people, FUN TIMES!

Well, last night was not nearly as exciting. Siah had tried to do the Houdini Maneuver out of his highchair….have I mentioned that he’s climbing or crawling up onto anything and everything – again with the FUN TIMES!….and so we put him down on the kitchen floor. He waddled over to the empty dishwasher and then 2 seconds later started gagging. A barfing baby is not fun, but when you realze that the soap from the dishwasher – which is a mixture of Borax and Washing Soda – didn’t disolve completely away and that there was a little bit left in the soap dispenser and then you realize that your kid ate some of it……

It’s one of those “eye rolling, go and call the poison control people and find out if we need to go and spend the entire night sitting in the disease filled ER and possibly picking up goodness knows what and how that in and of itself has to be WAY worse than the tiny bit of borax that the baby just injested” moments.

Fortunately, the nice Poison Control guy said that we were morons for feeding our child Borax and then asked if we would not bother them so that the really impotant calls could get through.

No, they didn’t say that, but they weren’t concerned and said that there was nothing that we needed to do – Siah would be all okay!

So, in my concern and because these people weren’t nearly concerned enough for my child’s heath and safety, I utlized my Google medical degree and found out that…..

NOTHING! It really was okay! I mean, i shouldn’t be feeding him Borax for a snack, but apparently the Poison Control Dude did know what he was talking about and I really don’t need to worry…..which I still did…..totally, right?

He’s up and happy this morning and I’m assuming all is well.

Moral of the story……well….I don’t know what the moral of the story is, but….we won’t be feeding the baby any Borax any time soon, eh?

Running Around..

Guess What?

It’s Siah’s FIRST BIRTHDAY……..TODAY!

I can hardly believe that it’s been a WHOLE year since he was born…although technically he wasn’t born yet. He didn’t decide to make an appearance until around 3pm….I think?

So Cute

To be certain, I’d have to go back and check, but We’re headed out because some of our longest standing and dearest friends have moved closer and we are going to help them unpack.

I’m so excited.

I have pictures to post and thoughts to expound upon and endless drivel to blah, blah blah about and it will all be good – BUT….right now, I am in my pyjamas and we have to go in 40 minutes and I gotta do something about myself.

We are going to have a first Birthday party next Saturday, but we’re just trying to nail down a time….so, if you are family or close friends, please consider yourself invited. It’s more a time to celebrate “LIFE” and to get together and just be happy than an actual birthday party, but whatever it takes to call a party, eh???

Gotta go and get ready!

Happy Birthday, my son!

This day, like every day with you, is another day to celebrate life and to be so thankful…..so, so thankful.

It’s All A Bit Messy

Yesterday seemed to be a messy day.

Siah was into EVERYTHING.

I had given the kids a green smoothie with Breakfast, and Jeremy downed his and gave me the cup Xani finished hers and put her cup in the sink. Geli is my fussy eater, and usually needs a little encouragement to finish her green smoothie.

Apparently I never paid that much attention, and she left her cup on the coffee table in the TV room.

I came around the corner to this……

Found a Green Smoothie

Awesome, isn’t it?

Siah is not a fussy eater at all. He LOVES green smoothies.

But, seeing the slimey, slippey mess that is on his fingers…is it any wonder that this happened….

Dropped it

Love the face, though!

Then in the afternoon, Geli had made some peanut butter and honey sandwiches for herself and Xandra and I’m not sure, but maybe the cupboard was left open a crack or something because when I came into the kitchen….this was what i stumbled across.

Found the Bucket 'O Honey

Look at the look on his face. Cute, eh?

Well, I was even less impressed by than the smoothie. I mean, I did have to get out the steam cleaner to clean up the carpet, but HONEY…..YUCK! At leas it was on the linoleum and not the carpet, eh?

He was not too impressed that I was taking him away from his fun.

Not Happy

This picture was taken just before he had a full on back arching, screaming, melt down…because seriously. How DARE we take him away from his bucket of honey? He found it, so that makes it his, right?

Needless to say, it was a long day and I was thrilled when they were all asleep and I could just sit in the peace and quiet.

And now we’re doing it all over again…hopefully not!

I heard it “tick”

Well, I think that FINALLY…..after almost 11 months, ‘Siah has his first tooth.

I don’t have a picture for you of his adorable toothy grin….but I’m hoping soon.

I actually can’t even see a tooth yet. So, can I really count that he has his first tooth. I think I can.

See, he’s been working on this tooth for a while now, and he’s been UNBELIEVABLY MISERABLE the past week. Up in the middle of the night crying and crying and crying and it’s not a mad “pick me up I’m so angry” cry. It’s been more of a I’m hurting cry.

Today when he woke up, we noticed that it looked like he had a nasty blister on his bottom gums, and sure enough, if you felt right there – he would flip out and cry.

I wondered when it might finally cut through, and tonight when I was feeding him some food with a metal spoon, I heard a “clink” or a “tick” as the metal hit the tooth. I wondered if if was just my imagination, but it happened again and again, and I highly doubt that he’s got a cricket loose in his belly that just happenes to be chirpping at the same time that I tap on his lower front gums.

I’m so excited. His first tooth….

It seems so silly to be so excited over something so insignificant, but still I’ve been waiting a long time for some of these “firsts” to happen, and I’m so thrilled to be able to say that this one is finally here.

Snap Happy!

It was the perfect picture taking day on Saturday morning. The sky was grey and bright with high cloud cover and it was perfect.

We tried to get ready in a hurry, but for whatever reason….all 8 thousand of them…we didn’t leave the house until after 1pm.

And by that time it was sunny. Was I ever upset to see the sun. Can you believe that I even typed that down let alone thought it? I know, it’s horrifying after all the bad weather that we’ve had, and we are exactly 5 days away from summer…not cool…not cool at all.

So, we made it to City Hall and everyone piled out of the van and as I scouted out the best location and flicked my camera on…..I realized that I had left the battery…………in the charger…………at home!

So, we had to pile everyoneback into the van and drive back home, but fortunately, City Hall is only about 5 minutes or less away from our house – so not the end of the world….just slighty frustrating.

We made it back to City Hall and once again everyone piled out of the van and took off across the grass.

We got the kids and Daddy “Happy Father’s Day” special shot as evidenced below….

The kids were pretty good, well except Jeremy decided that today wasnot a day for just normal smiling, and so that made things a bit difficult as evidenced below…..

Apparently, I’m liking the phrase “as evidenced below” today…it’s a good one. Try it out, let the words rooooollllllll off your tongue. I’ll try to see if I can fit it in a few more times in this post…..special like, just for you.

If you click on the first picture, it’ll take you to the pics that I didn’t delete because I considered them okay….I could probably mess with them in photoshop for some of them, but you’ll get the general idea. I was LOVE the pictures of Geli. She’s been known to take some REALLY bad photos in her day, but on Saturday – that prize went to Jeremy.

If you click on the picture of him, it’ll take to you the other pics that I didn’t delete, but only because they were so funny. There were almost no good pictures of him, but oh so many really good, bad pictures.

Which ones are your favorite?

Snotfest June 2008

Yah! Alright! PAR-TAY!

No seriously, it’s a freakin’ party around these parts. Jeremy came home 2 maybe 3 days ago coughing….one of those nasty barky kinda coughs. Like when you feel lie you have a film of sticky gooey flem coating the entire back of your throat and lungs and you can’t quite catch a proper breath because the flem keeps sticking and choking you up.

It was AWESOME!

So, I did my little “stay away from the baby, Jer! I’m serious! JEREMY! I’M SERIOUS…..GET AWAY FROM JOSIAH RIGHT NOW…NO NO NO! DON’T…DON’T….don’t cough all over his face. :mumblingundermybreath: of course you had to cough right into his face didn’t you” freak out to absolutely no avail.

And on Tuesday night when I put Siah to bed he was wheezing and crackling a little with each breath. I really hoped and prayed that it was just a little extra mucus floating around…everyone has a llittle extra mucus from time to time, don’t you? No such luck.

Siah was up just about every hour coughing and wheezing and crying and to say that it was a fun night….well, that would definately be a lie. A COMPLETE AND UTTER LIE!

Yesterday he was coughing a bit during the day, but it really wasn’t anything too bad, but by evening, I knew that we were in for another night of fun filled pleasure and delight.

He had a harder time than usual going down to bed, and it was all because he was SO PLUGGED UP. It’s so sad that you can’t suck and breathe at the same time. So, we popped on and off a million bazillion times, until I finally gave up and then Jon rocked him and he went straight to sleep.

He woke up at 2am, and had a wicked fever. I don’t like to give Tylenol unless it’s totally ncessary, because I figure that the fever is the bodys way of fighting off the infection but this was hot…like HOT HOT!

He was able to nurse back to sleep and when he woke up again at 4am the tylenol was doing it’s job – no fever! YAH!

He’s been the snot monster all day today, and i have more snot on me than has made it into a kleenex. The long strings that are sneezed all the way onto the floor where he is sitting playing with his toys….those are my favorite. in fact, I just tried to tak e apicture of a GIANT snot bubble that he sneezed and stuck between his nose and his shirt….it was equal parts awesome and gross all at the same time. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how badly you wanted to look at it) he was uncooperative when I got the camera out and then promptly smeared it all over my leg – and let my tell you THAT was awesome.

He’s got a bit of a fever right now, but seeing as he’s eating (food) and nursing (after I use the snot sucker – man he hates that thing) and is playing (albeit a bit crankily) I’d say we’re all good and just running though a virus.

I’m hoping that we’re all done with it soon though, cause it sucks….on so many levels.

Second Chances

Siah’s sleeping and I’ve showered and I think I have a few moments to blather on and on and on.

I love the feeling of being connected through my laptop, and at the same time I hate it.

I’m trying to find balance in my life and sometimes it seems so difficult. I’m at home – by choice – and as much as I can handle being “alone” for longer periods than some others can; I still need contact, and sometimes it comes in the form of this website and sometimes it comes in the form of on-line friendships that I started 4 years ago and sometimes it comes from “in person” friendships and sometimes it comes through family. There are different ways to connect and different levels to connect on, and again, I try to find balance.

Balance, balance, balance, schmalance!

I’ve been just “playing” with Siah. Building block towers for the sole purpose of him being able to knock them over. I barely get one made and it’s demolished. I have made literally hundreds of these towers over the past little while; and while I build, I have time to think.

I didn’t do as much “playing” with the other three kids. I was younger and more naive and maybe a bit lazy and definately tired and I was just trying to survive. Once Xandra came along and I was forced to stay at home more and “do” less things, I often regretted not just enjoying the one on one time that I had with Geli. I took it for granted and I would never get that time back.

I’ve been given a second chance (of sorts). The 3 older kids are all in school and I have a full day at home to just enjoy and appreciate the time that I have with my baby. I could clean the house. I could craft. I could go shopping. I could go out with friends. I could blog. I could just waste time on the Internet. I could do so many things, and I do……BUT, I am enjoying my baby. I am just sitting with him and reading him books. I am rocking him in his room and nursing him without multi-tasking. I nap when he goes down for a nap – from time to time.

I’m trying to really enjoy this second chance. This chance to just enjoy and live without letting life pass me by so fast.

It also makes me think about the whole rest of my life and trying to enjoy and grab every last bit out of everything that I do. Really think about what things are important…..really think about what things are going to stick with me in the long run and which things just really don’t matter, short term and long term….I want to be there for my kids – right now. This is a one time deal….I don’t get this time back again. I’m trying to make the most of what’s in front of me right now.

Balance…it all comes back to balance.

I’m so grateful for second chances.

and just because… here’s a video of Siah laughing hysterically.

Enough with the Pizza’s and the Cheesecake….

Alrighty, so I have exactly 2.348 seconds before my little (large would be more accurate) Hoover starts complaining that I’m on the computer and wants to knock over the 1,079, 342, 457th block tower this morning.

I’m not sure exactly what’s up, but ‘Siah was up from 2-3:15am last night or this morning or however you want to call that…..like happy and in that half drugged/asleep state, but talking and singing and most definately AWAKE.

He finally went back to sleep, but it took me a little bit to settle back down, and I was DREADING this morning with everything in me.

It went pretty well though, and everyone was off to school on time and didn’t forget anything and there were no tears and no melt-downs, and as far as I’m concerned…that’s a very positive morning.

Yesterday, ‘Siah was up freaky early (like 615am….that’s freaky early in my estimation) and then went down for a 2.5 hour nap that started at 9am just after the kids eft for school and if you can do the math – ended at 11:30am, AND…….I had crawled back into bed and managed to (minus a few phone call interruptions) sleep the whole time as well. So, lets just say that yesterday was a good day, and after last night, I was really hoping for a re-run, but NOPE!

Little stinker fell asleep, but didn’t want to let me go, and then woke up at 10am. Stupid Expectations…they get me every time.

I had mom and dad and Chris out for dinner last night, and they stayed until the kids were in bed, so that was SO HELPFUL.

Everyone at J’s school is raving about how wonderful he is doing, and cynical me is wondering if he’s really doing that well, or if they are all just saying it so that we keep him on the Ritalin. Not that we are planning on taking him off it right now…we are still in the trying it out stage and have no intentions of mucking around with stuff until we give it all a good shot, BUT…..

….it’s still as messy and frustrating in my head, and as much as I could just ramble on and on about everything that’s flying hrough my head – I’m not going to subject you to that….I’ll keep it until I have some clearer, more consise things to say.

Regardless, J’s doing okay, but night times are rough and he seems to be more hyper when the meds wear off…..Is this normal? or is it just our perception? I dunno.

Siah is cruising the furniture and even the walls like a monkey and is clapping and waving hi and bye and he is just happy and darling and everything that we’ve been waiting for and hoping for the past long years.

Xani is her happy bubbly self….and we adore her. She is being so helpful and seems to really be “getting” responsibility and pitching in and we are so proud of her.

Angelica is getting so big, and honestly is struggling a bit. She is so upset that we ask her to help out or pitch in with housework…she doens’t like that she has to prove that she’s responsible. She just wants us to blindly trust her, and the problem with that is that she’ making some stupid, stupid choices, and tends to react when confronted with a situation or issue. It must be so hard. I don’t know what’s going on or why she’s acting like this, but we are talking and so that’s good. I wonder what of it is hormones, and what is preeteen stuff and what is….I dunno. She’s a great kid and we love her, but she’s making some hard choices and learning (in our minds) the hard way….but she and we’ll figure it all out and it’ll end up good.

Jon’s been away for the past 2 nights, and is coming home “sometime” today. That’ll be nice. I’ve missed him.

Well, I gotta go and dig ‘Siah outta the plants….he’s discovered dirt…..:rollseyes:….and that’s just so much fun!