Morning Sickness Blues

My first pregnancy was quite the adventure to say the least.  However, I have to admit that after the first four months, my morning sickness wasn't so bad.  I found out quickly that milk products triggered it.  So, I gave up cow's milk in favor of soy.  In fact, I haven't had a glass of cow's milk in almost three years now.  And while I had morning sickness up until two days before I delivered, I didn't have it everyday.

Boy that is not case with this pregnancy.  I'm finding out that everything seems to trigger it.  I can no longer drink orange juice, sodas or kool aid.  Pretty much anything sweet tastes completely gross and sends my stomach into overload.  Yes, this baby is screwing up my taste buds.  So, far I've given up ice cream, popsicles, candy (except gummy bears), juice, soda, cereal, pickles and the list goes on.

The only safe foods are noodles, green veggies, chicken, steak and hamburgers.  This week alone I've eaten chicken at least twice and have been starving for at least four days because I couldn't keep anything down.  This sucks big time because I'm worried that the baby isn't getting enough nutrients.  And when my hubby commented that my baby bump actually looked small, I started to panic.  I'm trying to patient and wait for my new obb/gyn to fit me in for an appointment but at times I just feel like showing up to her office unannounced and demanding a check up.

Of course, they reassure you that morning sickness is normal and nothing to be alarmed about, but I'm not convinced that this is normal this time around.  I'm losing weight instead of gaining weight and the prenatal vitamins they prescribed me that are suppose to help with my digestion aren't working because I can't keep those down either.  And being in this constant state of hunger is really starting to affect my mood.  I'm grumpy and annoyed all the time it seems.  I don't like to be touched or even talked to for that matter.

I miss the old much more cheerful me and so does my family.  I can't wait until I get in to see my doctor because we are seriously going to have to find a medicine to help with this.  I can't go the remaining 7 months being hungry or living off chicken.   I want to be able to enjoy this pregnancy.  So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will either pass quickly or get better.

Us Plus Two

I know that as of late, I have been really slacking on posting to my blog this month.  It's not that I've fallen out of love with it or anything like that.  It's just that I've been trying to wrap my head around some news I found out recently.  If you follow my personal Facebook page or follow me on Twitter, then you probably I already know that I recently found I out I am preggers with baby numero dos!!!

When I first found out I wasn't sure how I felt.  I've mentioned on here a few times that if I did have a second baby it should be four years from now.  Having two small children to care for pretty 24/7 has always been a scary thing for me.  Moo keeps me busy enough for two kids now.  So, how will coop with a two year old and newborn next June?  It's alot to prepare for mentally and emotionally.

A part me feels like I've robbed Moo of being the baby.  Even though she has been pasted the baby stage physically is now considered a toddler, still she was my baby and the baby of our family.  She's so used to being the center of everyone's attention-mine, Mimi (aka Grandma), her aunts and uncle, etc.  I just hope that she's able to adjust and doesn't look at the baby as a threat.  It can happen because as over joyed as my niece was to have Moo in the family, she was really jealous of all the attention Moo got.

And even now that they are both older, she still can't stand when Moo gets more attention than her.  She whines, she pouts, she screams and she's even been know to lash out physically at Moo.  However, she is very protective of Moo when it comes to other people including family members.  I just don't want Moo experience any type of jealousy or resentment for her new brother or sister.  (I think it's going to be a girl because girls are dominate in my family.)

Next on my list of worries is money.  Babies are expensive!!  We were able to save money of formula because I chose to breastfeed Moo.  My hubs wasn't super stoked about my chose because he was of course thinking about himself, but by the time she got here and he saw how much cribs, diapers and clothes cost.  Plus, he educated himself on how much more healthier breastfed babies turn out.  He's been very supportive since.

I'm just wondering how we're going to afford baby numero dos.  I mean there's maternity insurance to get which costs like an arm and a leg almost.  We have another crib, set of bedding, clothes, etc. to buy.   Not to mention that we have to find another place because this duplex is just not big enough to house all the extra baby stuff we'll have.  So, we've decided to buy a home and that in itself is very stressful.  With the house market in the shape that it's in we've decided that maybe getting a custom build home or modular home is best for us.

I already own an acre and some change of land.  So, rather than let it continue to sit and go to waste we're going to build our home on it.  With the custom homes we've looked at, it won't take forever to build because the frames come prebuilt like off of Extreme Homes.  And since I only have 7 months to go, we have to decide pretty fast what we want.

On top of all of that, we just got a new car like three weeks ago.  So, I'm just like past worried about how tight our money is going to be.  But I'm still overjoyed that I am able to bring another life into this world.  Life is precious and should be cherished not regretted or resented.  I'm convinced that this will all work out and is part of God's plan for our lives.

Going Green for Moo

As many of you know, we've been battling Moo's ezcema for almost two years now.  We've been through dozens of prescription creams and even more over the counter creams, lotions, etc.  Each time we tried a new cream or whatever, I was always a little hesitant.  Have you ever looked on the back of those tubes and bottles?  There are tons of chemicals in those things.

So, when Maggie contacted me from Ecostore USA, I thought this would be a great time to try some natural products to help soothe her skin allergy.  After all, what could it hurt?  I'd already tried a million nasty chemicals on her skin and they either didn't work and just worked for two days and then quit.

And visiting Ecostore USA, I saw just how far living GREEN has come from just a few years earlier.  I mean they have household cleaners, products for your pet, your hair and more.  Of course, I had to check out their Baby Care selection.  At first, I was waiting to be overwhelmed by the amount products from which to select from but was pleasantly surprised that the selections were simple-soap, body washes, moisturizer, shampoo, and balm.  I know that people are always talking about wanting to have options, but less is truly more sometimes.

I decided to go with the Baby Moisturizer because the key to fighting ezcema is keeping the skin moist.  And Moo's skin can get very dry.  I mean we go through quite a few bottles of moisturizer here because I have to apply it so many times during the day.  And I also chose the Coconut Bar Soap because coconut oil is good for keeping the skin moist as well.

I'm happy to report that we have been using both products for about three weeks and we are ezcema free.  Her skin is becoming less and less dry which is great with fall already here and winter fastly approaching.  Who would have known that the key to my fustrations would be going Green in terms of skin care products?  I just wish I had thought about this before I tried all those creams and other products with all those nasty chemicals.

I encourage you all to head over to Ecostore USA today and try out some of their products.  Trust me their prices are reasonable for the quality and safety of their products.  Why continue to pollute our bodies and homes with harmful chemicals that could really kill us and aren't even all that good for us to begin with when there is a healthier and safer alternative out there.  I'm telling you all that when it comes to my Moo, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her including going GREEN!!

Early Childhood Education – Acquiring Sign Language

Let me just say that I was a little apprehensive about doing post since I didn't write it.  I've never really posted a full post submitted to me by someone else.  However, Sign Language is a subject that hits home for me and decided to go ahead with this.  I hope that you all will find this information very benecial and thought provoking.

One of the keys to surviving in a tilted economic system in which opportunities to achieve a decent standard of living will be limited is versatility – and the ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience. This includes bilingual ability as well as the ability to communicate in non-verbal ways for the benefit of the disabled – primarily the deaf.

At the same time, a growing shortage of qualified interpreters fluent in American Sign Language has led to more career opportunities – and if current trends continue, it's likely that skilled ASL interpreters will have little problem securing lucrative employment in a society where such a commodity is destined to be in short supply.

Signing Before They Can Speak

A great deal of research has clearly demonstrated that the early years – ages 2 to five – are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well.

This is not as odd as you may think. As you know, many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:

"...by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children

can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children

can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces

frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves

before they know how to talk." (Glarion, 2003)

The author also cites study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that "using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration...[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music" (Glarion, 2003).

The Best Time To Start

Not only does early childhood education in signing give pre-verbal youngsters a way to communicate, it can also strengthen the parent-child bond – in addition to giving children a solid foundation for learning a skill that will serve them well in the future. The evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk – and the implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the network of Georgia child care facilities belonging to the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose child care schools. Primrose Schools are located in 16 states throughout the U.S. and are dedicated to delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum throughout their preschools.

I'm Back!!!

I'm sure that a few of you probably wondered if I'd fallen off the map or was taking a little break from blogging.  Not at all.  I love my blog and it has become my stress reliever and given me the courage to do so many things.  My little sister had a birthday the week before last and I decided to go back home and celebrate with the fam.  However, what started out as just a weekend stay turned into a week and a half stay.

I'm not complaining though because I did get to go to bed earlier than normal.  That's all thanks to my niece who helped to wear Moo out with many hours of play after school.  I never knew how much I missed having a playmate for Moo.  I knew she missed it, but I never thought I would miss it.  It was nice seeing them play together again.  It was great to be able to spend time with my mom and do lunch together everyday.

I ran into some of my old teachers, attended a celebration ceremony for my cousin (he was promoted to Captain in the Army!!) and went to church.  The best part was just being surrounded by the people I loved.  I did do something huge though!!!

I got MARRIED!!!!  Yep, Thursday, we decided to elope.  Jay and I have been together a long time and we just decided that in order to be good parents and truly be followers of Christ, our life had to line up right.  While it wasn't the wedding I've been dreaming of or planning it was romantic and perfect.    I felt like Carrie Bradshaw, when she married Mr. Big in the courthouse in a no label dress.  You think you want the big glitzy wedding because that's what everyone expects and you've been dreaming about it since you were a kid. 

However, the truth was I've changed since I was a child.  I was just as happy standing there with my mom and Moo as witnesses saying 'I do' to Jay as I would have been in front a church full of people.  I'm really glad that we just went ahead and did it.  And my mom certainly felt honored to have been made a part of it.  We're officially a family and I love it!!!

Hope you all have been having a wonderful week/weekend.