Bringing in the New Year!

About an hour and a half until midnight Arizona time (which is the only time to be on in the west, I don't like daylight savings time!) and most of the kids are asleep. Evan is relaxing with Kieran on the couch and I just got done making a big batch of liquid laundry detergent and a few cups (4-5?) of powdered laundry detergent. :) Reflecting back on this year, it's been a crazy ride, which is pretty typical!
Speaking of CRAZY, my next must get book is Crazy Love. I've heard a lot of good things about it and I can't wait to read it! I'm excited! Lol, but I haven't ordered it yet, want to wait until I do my budgeting for this pay period! I know that Crazy Love is going to be inspiring. If it inspired an 11 year old to raise over $20,000 in a week, well, it's going to be inspirational!
Right now I am reading Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. It's a pretty awesome book and I am hoping to finish by the time Evan leaves for BNCOC so that he can take it with him. I would love to read it together and I have this idea that in the future I'll get another copy so Evan can take his own copy to Afghanistan. I've read most of Becoming The Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For by Sharon Jaynes. That one is somewhat similar to the Love & Respect book, only geared towards a wife. Both books are based on Biblical teachings and I really like them.
So... in the new year, what is your resolution(s) going to be? I have a few of the normal things- eat healthy, lose weight, etc., that are on my mind, but I think the main thing I am going to concentrate on is my attitude towards others. I want to think of others first, not just some of the time, but all of the time (ok, I'll settle for most of the time, realistically, at least at first). Bethany hosted a 12 Days of Giving on her blog in December, which I thought was pretty neat. I'd love to do something nice for someone every day just because. So, my New Year's resolution- spread some cheer, goodwill, and joy. :) And hopefully find some more energy while doing it because I have been SO tired lately!! :) :) :)
And just because they are cute, some pictures of the kids.



This child just will not stay on his tummy! He rolls all over the mats when we set him down.



He is just so stinking cute. Every time I would set him on his tummy, he'd bat at a toy a few times, then roll to his back and smile at me. Ah well, I'm a sucker for that smile.



A potentially dangerous situation... Lol! This is why I don't set Kieran down and walk out of the room unless Elijah is confined or with me. He thinks all of the toys are his and within a few minutes of Kieran being set down, he comes and starts collecting the baby toys. Little stinker.



Evan decided that after seeing this mess, it was time for Elijah to go to bed. Evan and Aiden had been cleaning up the two tubs of blocks Elijah had dumped in the dining room, only to finish and find him dumping these two big tubs of toys.



Aiden had to rescue his stethoscope. And yes, that is a pink My Little Pony toy in his hand. It came in Elijah's happy meal and for some reason Aiden has decided that it is his baby. I am the grandma, Elijah is the cousin, Aiden is the mommy, and Daddy is the daddy. I love my strange child! :)



Laying on the couch to be changed into jammies. Elijah would not look at the camera today for anything. He normally does, but I guess everyone is entitled to an off day once in awhile! I am so blessed to have three handsome boys and a wonderfully amazing husband!!

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful and adventure filled Christmas! The kids were enjoying their Christmas presents when the power went out a bit after noon. Thankfully I had not started cooking dinner, otherwise it would have been ruined! We did have a small incident where Aiden slipped on a toy hat and hit his head on the floor. He had a nice big goose egg on his head, but he actually sat and let me put a pack of frozen peas on it and it didn't swell up further. Today it is just a sickly grayish-green and slightly swollen.
The power did not come back on until after 9 pm, so we spent the day enjoying each other's company without the distraction of electronics- or cooking! Lol! Evan didn't think we had enough propane to roast the turkey on the BBQ, so we saved it for today. We played games, played with toys, sat around and cuddled... Before it got dark we went to buy some more flashlights, picked up some snacks, and came home and sat in the van and watched half of a movie. We set up a flashlight in each room, so the kids enjoyed playing by the light of the flashlights! We just had snacks for dinner- cheese, applesauce, pretzels, cookies, cereal. It sure made us thankful for electricity and "real" food! We all cheered when the power came back on, even though it was bed time. :)
I did get a few pictures of the kids before it got too dark to take pictures. They were not cooperating- Evan and I had a good laugh trying to get three children to stay on the couch, look at the camera and smile all at the same time. We were very blessed to spend the time together as family, I hope everyone else had a blessed day as well! Enjoy!


Sleeping like, well, a baby! He will not sleep in his crib or pack n play unless he is surrounded by his blankies. This makes mommy VERY nervous and you can bet I don't go far from him when he is napping and I check on him every few minutes. Yes... I admit, I can be paranoid. Lol!




Elijah playing with the train set Santa brought he and Aiden. Notice it is screwed down to the table. ;)




Aiden, happily showing another big hit, the Hungry Dogs game (it's basically a Hungry Hungry Hippos knock off). We had a blast playing this and even Elijah was able to play! This was right before the power went out.

Sickie Update

It just seems like when it rains it pours sometimes! The kids and Evan were ALL sick this past week! Kieran was miserable with his coughing, clearing his throat, etc., he wasn't sleeping... So I took him back to the doctor Tuesday, to his regular pediatrician. The soonest the GI doctor can get him in is the first week in January and he needed relief before that! His doctor prescribed prevacid to keep him comfortable and also diagnosed him with asthma! :( Two of my three children now have a diagnosis of asthma. Kieran started breathing treatments Wednesday. He is coughing much less and in general not as fussy- thank you Lord!! :) My sweet baby is his usual happy self again.
He did end up getting a fever and ran a fever for about 24 hours, as did Elijah (Elijah's was more like 2 days, but off and on and it didn't seem to bother him much). It was Kieran's first fever. It hovered around 100 and I normally wouldn't medicate that low, but he was very fussy. He was finally able to rest after I gave him medicine and then once he received his first breathing treatment he felt SO much better and slept all night Wednesday night. He doesn't mind his breathing treatments too much, although Elijah is a bit freaked out by the nebulizer. Poor Elijah, he is still sensitive to certain sounds.
Everyone seems to be on the mend now. I was thankful I didn't get sick with strep like everyone else- although I did feel very sick this evening with an upset tummy! It's amazing how well things work out because Evan was just home from work and was able to take care of the kids so Mommy could spent some quality time with the toilet, whom I hadn't spent much time with since giving birth to Kieran five months ago. I guess it missed me. ;) I feel fine now, although a little disappointed. I had been invited to a home decor party that a fellow military wife was hosting and I was looking forward to some girl talk and an hour or so "away from it all." Lol, I guess I did sort of get my time "away from it all," just not in the way I had imagined!
I've been meaning to post some prayer requests, also!! I've been keeping some friends in my prayers and would like to ask anyone who would be willing to join me in keeping them covered in prayer. A friend of mine since childhood is currently in the hospital. She is pregnant with twins. The girls are not due until February, but Am has been having some contractions. The doctor finally has the contractions under control, but the girls' heart rates keep dropping, so the doctor is keeping them in the hospital under observation. Am has a wonderful 8 year old daughter who is not allowed to visit her in the hospital due to the concern of H1N1. This is hard on their family to be separated at this time of year. Could you say some prayers for the health of Am and the unborn lovelies and comfort for Am (who is pretty sore from laying in bed so long with such a big load) and her daughter, who is surely missing her mom.
A few more prayer requests... Two dear online friends of mine, who I have been acquainted with since we were pregnant together in 2004/2005 could use prayers for their families. I won't post names since I don't have their permission... A's mom was recently diagnosed with cancer. She is currently waiting for more tests before the doctors decide how to proceed and could definitely use some prayers!! The doctors are trying to determine where the cancer originated as it is several places in her body and the family has been told it is a possible better outcome if it originated in one place over another. Please pray that God would guide the doctor's for the healing of this treasured mommy and grandma!
My other friend... T's father had a heart attack and has been hospitalized for I want to say 10-14 days now. From her Facebook updates, he seems to be doing well, but please pray for continued healing for this treasured father and grandpa!
It seems I have no shortage of prayer requests today... Another family I am acquainted with online through Reece's Rainbow recently adopted their fifth child. They are so excited to have added this sweet angel to their family! Dad had to go back to work after only 1 day home and Mama is feeling a little overwhelmed with orphanage behaviors of her newest little one. Please pray for peace for both Mama and little one as Mama gets to know her precious new little one and little one learns that there is good in the world and to open herself to trust her new family.
Another RR family, the Bedfords, are in the middle of their THIRD international adoption. They are going through a VERY difficult time right now and could use your prayers and support. They are an amazing military family. Shelley is a real life hero and I cannot imagine the hurt she must be feeling right now. The pain that I still feel from our failed adoption must be nothing to the pain she is going through having met a child that she cannot bring home. Pray for comfort for Robert and Shelley during this time and pray for the little guy they had to make the painful decision not to adopt.
Lastly, as it gets close to Christmas and the end of the year, please remember all of the children waiting on Reece's Rainbow's angel tree for their families to find them. The goal of the angel tree is to raise $1000 in grant money for each waiting child. This year it really hit me- am I teaching my children a giving spirit? Do my kids (ok, I only have 1 old enough) ask for things for themselves or for others? Am I setting a good example for them to live by? Tomorrow Aiden and I are going to sit down and pick out a child on the tree to sponsor. We're going to talk about how that child doesn't have a mommy or daddy to hold them and care for them, how that child won't have a Christmas tree or presents- they might not even have enough food to eat or heat to stay warm. I do like to pray for others and give where I can, but I have realized that I haven't actively shared this with my children. I really need to go to bed since the kids will be up before I know it, but I wanted to put this out there, since another blogger I follow had posted it... Think about your New Year's resolution- will it be about you- about losing weight or saving money or what you will do for yourself? Or will you resolve to make your life about others, about what you can do to give? When I am alert and can find the blog post I am thinking of, I'll post the link. :) Until then...

Sick, Sick, and More Sick

Elijah is sick. :( Aiden's culture WAS positive for strep, but it was non group A strep. I guess it's not typically something that gets treated with antibiotics, but the NP did give Aiden a prescription because he is at risk for pneumonia. So... The doctor who saw Elijah this morning said that Elijah most likely has it, too, but she isn't going to give him antibiotics for it. Tonight Elijah sounds horrible. It sounds to me like he has croup. He has a horrible barking cough, he's wheezy, and he seems to have a little trouble breathing (but his color, gums, fingernails, etc. all look okay and react normally). The doctor this morning said his lungs sounds clear. His sats were at 95, but she said that is normal since he is congested. I'm a bit worried right now. I saw in the bathroom with him and had the shower running, that seemed to help him a bit. Evan found the humidifier and set it up in our room and we're all sleeping in there tonight (like we don't ALL sleep in there just about every night anyway, lol).
We did have Kieran's follow up appointment Thursday afternoon. I had received a call saying his upper GI was normal, so I was a little bit surprised when the doctor told us it was in fact NOT normal. It showed esophageal dysmotility (his esophagus isn't contracting to help the food move down his throat) and transient pylorospasms (the valve at the bottom of the stomach is spasming periodically). She didn't really know what any of this meant so... We wait for a referral to a GI specialist. In the mean time, Kieran is very uncomfortable. He has been fussy, he has stopped gaining weight as well as he had been, he spits up all the time, and some times his cry is very weak or hoarse. He is also teething, so I am not sure what fussiness is from teething and what is from his tummy issues!! He acts like he is ravenous! It's kind of cute, he'll look around and then fling himself on an object (usually someone's hands) and start gnawing. He has quite a grip with his gums, thankfully he hasn't tried that on parts other than my hands. ;)
Evan found my camera cord tonight. He told me he found it in plain sight. Lol. So... here are some recent pics. Since we received the new shipment of melatonin Elijah has been asleep by 8 or 8:30 which is why he isn't in any of these pics. Can I just say THANK YOU to Julie for telling me to give the melatonin a try. It is AMAZING the difference in Elijah when he is on the Risperdal and the melatonin!! He is so much happier, too (when he's not sick, anyway!). I will have to get some new pics of him soon!!

My little goofball! I was taking pictures of this elephant to try to rehome him and Aiden jumped on him. He is SUCH a ham!


This was Wednesday evening. The doctor had told me to try giving him rice cereal (before we got his test results). He is so into watching us eat that we thought maybe it wouldn't hurt to try. Lol, he wasn't so sure about it! We have since decided to wait to talk to the GI doctor before trying again.


Not sure if you can tell, but his shirt actually has spit up all over it. He has been spitting up SO much lately! I was already making him the rice cereal (trying to express enough milk!) so we waited to change him till he was done making a mess. And he did make a mess! He did seem to enjoy eating but he wasn't so sure about the taste.


Baby blues!


I have more pics but that will have to do for now. Kieran just woke up and while Daddy is definitely his favorite person when he is awake, he is all about Mommy when it's bed time! ;)

Win an HP TouchSmart

http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html

Now through Christmas Eve. Way too cool! I'm not counting on winning or anything, but a girl sure can dream! :)

Sick

Aiden had been fighting a cough for almost a week... he woke up Monday morning with a bad cough, some difficulty breathing and a slightly elevated temperature. We had Kieran's upper GI first thing Monday morning and as soon as we got back from that I called and made an appointment to take Aiden in immediately. We saw a new doctor (actually a NP, but she was great) and she said to give him his albuterol inhale regularly for as long as he has the cough, instead of as needed like normal. She did a swab of his throat and said if it was positive she would call in a script for him. We had a better cough syrup at home than she could prescribe for him, so I took him home and gave him his cough syrup and albuterol. His temperature hovered between 99 and a bit over 100 until Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening he was coughing so hard that he threw up. Finally, this morning he seemed fine. Since his temperature had been normal for 24 hours, I told him he could go back to school today...
Then we get a call (well Evan did) that his throat culture was positive and there was a script for zithromax waiting to be picked up. Argh. Of course I don't want to expose his classmates, so no school again today. He's already had his first dose of antibiotics, so maybe he can return to school tomorrow... Evan didn't ask what kind of bacteria the culture was positive for- he was at work, so I'm sure he was busy and didn't think about it. I don't know WHY they keep calling him when I keep giving them MY number to call, but somehow his number keeps popping up as the primary phone. :P So I am not sure if it is strep or not.
Kieran's upper GI was normal, which basically means he didn't reflux during the test. It doesn't mean he doesn't have reflux... There is a different test the doctor could have ordered that would have said more definitively whether he has reflux or not, but for some reason she wanted to do the upper GI first... So... Evan will try to go with me to this appointment and help combat the rude doctor. It kind of makes me want to make the appointment with the nice NP Aiden saw, but we'll go back and see the rude doctor first since we're "supposed" to.
Oh and Elijah started coughing last night... Hopefully he isn't getting what Aiden has!! I have some really cute pics of Kieran (the other two were already in bed) but I can't find my camera cord at the moment. Yech and Kieran just spit up all over me.

Creamy Chicken & Rice

I made this for dinner tonight for Evan and I. Aiden won't eat chicken and Elijah won't eat chicken that isn't breaded, so they had pizza. Lol. I don't have exact measurements on everything and I didn't take a picture, but believe me, it was yummy. If you've ever seen the recipes on the Minute rice box or the Campbell's cream of chicken soup can, it was very similar. Just a few small changes made it amazing. :)

about 4 chicken tenderloins (you could also use boneless, skinless breast and cut it into smaller pieces, maybe 2-3 pieces per breast)
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2-3/4 cup of quick cooking rice
heavy cream
water
1/4 cup butter

Preheat over to 375. Grease a round or square 8x8, 9x9, or similar sized pan (or ovenproof casserole). Melt butter in a bowl, whisk in soup, cream and water. I used a little less than a can of liquid, roughly half of cream and half of water. Stir in rice, then pour into prepared pan. Place chicken on top. Cover. Bake until chicken and rice are done (mine was perfect at 50 minutes).

Tips- I used half of a cup of rice and I could have used a tad more. I like my rice very moist. When I pulled it out of the oven it kinda looked like soup, but it did thicken a bit upon standing, but it was still moister than the traditional chicken and rice bake. I also put crumbs on top of the chicken, but because it baked covered, the crumbs absorbed some moisture and just kind of congealed on top of the chicken. It was tasty still, but it wasn't extremely pretty. ;) The cream and butter made this dish rich and yummy. Evan doesn't normally care for rice dishes, but he finished everything I put on his plate. I have some rice left over, which I will happily heat up for my lunch tomorrow. You could also mix in some veggies, but then you might want to add a bit more water. Enjoy!

Saving Tonya

Meet Tonya. Tonya is four and a half years old. She lives in a very good orphanage in Eastern Europe. She is a very high functioning little girl with a large vocabulary. She walks and runs well. She is healthy. When asked if she wanted a Mommy and Daddy, she said, "Yes, yes!" Tonya has down syndrome and in her country that is a scary thing. But here in the U.S. we know better (or at least we should). Down syndrome is no big deal. But in Tonya's country... Tonya is due to be sent to a mental institution long before her fifth birthday. The director of her orphanage cares for the children and is trying to hold Tonya at the baby house as long as possible, but even the director has to answer to a higher authority, one that doesn't know the children and mandates that all special needs children be transferred to a mental institution at age four. Mental institutions where they might receive enough food to stay alive (maybe), but definitely not thrive. Where the mobile children might be tied to cribs to "keep them safe." They have very little human contact and the children lose skills rapidly. Soon they just lay in their beds, waiting to go home to their Father, while we sit in our warm homes and do what? We CAN make a difference. I saw this quote recently- "I'd like to ask God why He lets poverty and injustice exist, why there are so many orphans and why He does nothing about it.....but I am afraid He will ask me the same question."
There are no shortages of families wanting to adopt Tonya and other children like her!! SERIOUSLY. The problem? Money! It is expensive to travel halfway around the world to adopt a child. If we had 1000 people donate just $20, the cost of Tonya's adoption would be fully funded (she does have a $2000 grant already). So, what are you waiting for? If you can't afford $20, which I understand, especially at this time of year, PLEASE get the word out! You never know who will be able to afford $20 or even more. In the mean time, let's PRAY Tonya home!! :)
For more info on Tonya, click here and scroll down to her picture.

Really

Kieran has been coughing for about three weeks now. He's been to the doctor 3 times in 10 days. The first two doctors pronounced him "perfectly healthy." Seriously, they wouldn't have if they'd heard him cough! He has this scary choking cough, then he clears his throat and spits up. His voice is hoarse. The urgent care doctor said his throat was a little red. Evan's sister Lori had one of those light bulb moments and said maybe it was reflux. It made a heck of a lot of sense to me. I tried him on the antibiotics the urgent care doctor gave us, it did nothing. So today we went to see yet another doctor.
This is where it gets interesting. Her first assumption was that I am simply FEEDING HIM TOO MUCH. She was pretty rude, too. I almost lost my temper. I said half jokingly, "Well this is my third kid, I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between when he's hungry and when he's just fussy." So she yelled at me. Seriously. She then decided to order an upper GI test. Presumably to prove me wrong. I've suspected since shortly after his birth that Kieran has reflux. His regular pediatrician said that it isn't affecting his growth so it's not an issue. Which... well, is not true. Aiden also has reflux. He had very similar symptoms when he was Kieran's age. I was told it was nothing, all babies spit up, even breast fed babies. Four years of untreated aspirated reflux did some damage to his lungs. He has asthma- research shows a higher incidence of asthma in kids with reflux. His esophogus shows damage. Untreated reflux can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia and bronchitis.
Hmmm... Aiden had bronchitis the entire winter that he turned two. I don't even know how many times I had him in the ER. Between that and ear infections, he spent several months on antibiotics. A doctor then tried to diagnose him with asthma and gave him an inhaler, but his pediatrician at the time poo pooed the idea, said you couldn't diagnose asthma at that age from one incidence, even though he'd had bronchitis for several months at that point. So... nothing was diagnosed then. Fast forward two years and Aiden gets sick very suddenly with pneumonia and we finally have a doctor that was determined to figure out why. Now suddenly all of the tummy aches and illnesses are making sense.
Given all that Aiden has been through, why on earth would I not want to treat Kieran's reflux?! Kieran has only gained two ounces in the last 10 days. When he lays down on his back or tummy, he is miserable, so we don't do that much anymore. He spits up, coughs, burps, and chokes enough when he is upright. Some days he is so miserable and his voice is so hoarse he can barely cry. I am really hoping that this doctor can get to the bottom of this and get him some relief. :( I hate seeing my little boy like this. He is normally so cheerful that it is all the more heartbreaking.

Holiday Baking!

Just wanted to offer my services for your holiday baking needs! So if you are running short on time and need some goodies in a pinch, I can make them for you! Here is a list of what I can make for you:

Toffee w/ Chocolate & Almonds $8 (approx 1 lb)

Sweet Breads- Pumpkin, Banana, Almond Poppy Seed, or Lemon $5 per loaf

Cream Cheese Cookies (these don't taste like cream cheese, but they are sooo chewy and delicious!) $6 for 1 batch (approx 3 dozen)

Fudge- $8 per batch (8x8 pan)

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip $3 a tub (approx 15 oz) (goes great with apples!)

I am also offering beef jerky but I don't yet have a price... I can't remember how much dried meat you get per pound of raw meat, so as soon as I am done with my first batch (should be Friday morning) and figure out the price, I'll post it. I personally think home made jerky is so much better than store bought!! :)

If you are interested in anything else, let me know. The jerky may or may not be pre made, everything else will NOT be made until you order, so keep that in mind if you need anything last minute. :) If you need a lot of something by a specific date, let me know.


Also, I have sets of crocheted wash cloths available. I also have some quilts, loveys, and crocheted bowls listed on my etsy site and if you order from Etsy and you are local, I will deliver to you and take off the price of shipping. My etsy site is http://www.etsy.com/shop/JourneysEndBoutique.

If you are not local, the prices listed above does not include shipping, but I will charge you the exact cost to ship only. In the 15 months Evan was deployed to Iraq I sent him baked goods all the time so I learned how to keep food moist over LONG journeys. ;) If you want a tip- the best way to do this is to use the inexpensive gladware or similar containers and line with paper towels. If there is any room at the top of your container, pack with paper towels. It may not look extremely pretty, but my husband would pass out cookies when they arrived several weeks after being baked and they were all amazed at how moist and fresh they were- like they had just been baked that day. Yes, I spoiled him and sent him cookies, jerky, and candy often. :)

Cinnamon Pie

This pie (and all those brownies I made a few weeks ago) are probably the reason I am now further from my prepregnancy weight than I was 8 weeks ago. ;) Just a warning, it is sweet, delicious, and addicting.

1 pie crust (I like to use the refrigerated, no sense in wasting a pan)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1 cup flour
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup quick cooking oats
2 tsp cinnamon

vanilla glaze

1/2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Let your pie crust sit while you prepare the filling. Soften 1/2 cup butter in microwave. Okay, if you are patient, soften it the old fashioned way, but I don't usually think that far ahead when it comes to things like that. ;) Mix flour, sugar, oats, and cinnamon with softened butter until crumbly. Roll out pie crust on a cookie sheet and roll the edge to give it a raised edge. Spoon topping onto pie crust, distribute evenly and pat down lightly. Melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter and drizzle over topping. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle glaze over warm pie, serve immediately. Cover leftovers. The pie in the picture has double the glaze on it- I used to use that much (don't ask me WHY, my scale has been asking me the same thing), then I realized that 1/2 the glaze (the amount listed above) tastes just as sweet. I'm pretty sure you could do even less. But there you go. My totally delicious, incredibly fattening dessert. Yum. Now I want one...