Summer Break Week 9

I always bring a sweater to church because I tend to get cold, and last Sunday everyone but me enjoyed wearing the sweater! I just had to laugh.

I'm averaging 3 times a week doing math with the kids which I think is pretty good for the summer. Becky is 3/4th of the way through her math book and I hope to squish the rest of the lessons into the summer (by skipping lessons when I can) but I think it will take both July and August to get through it all, which is fine. Reuben is a little over halfway and since he doesn't start Year 6 until January he's actually ahead, but shhhh don't tell him since I want to keep doing math 3-4 times a week with him and keep him ahead! 

It has been 5 weeks since my miscarriage ended and 3 weeks since I quit bleeding (I quit bleeding for a week, then started again--I think I had retained tissue) anyway I was super shocked to find that I was bleeding all over my pants at the grocery store on Thursday...my favorite white pants. I wasn't ready to start my cycle back, and I am actually concerned that this is not my cycle. Several parts of it do not seem normal...and it's making me stressed. I'm hoping it is just my period. I know from previous miscarriages the first period after a loss is usually extra long and extra weird...but this does not seem like a period to me, it seems like I am bleeding my own blood not period blood. Also I usually get 5-8 week break from my cycle after a miscarriage. But every miscarriage is different...I took a pregnancy test to confirm that I have no hCG, and my test was negative which is good. But I can't shake the feeling that something is off and I don't know what to do about it. 

My bleeding was quite heavy on Friday and I took some homeopathy for cramps, hemorrhage and retained placenta (calophyllum 200, and Sabina 30) to see if it would help and it did seem to slow the bleeding...now I"m waiting to see if this acts like a period... I suppose I should call a doctor and get a follow up ultrasound like the ER suggested when I went last month. Bothersome and annoying, by all means. I have had 7 miscarriages before this and never had any issues after them and it would be this last one that keeps plaguing me! I'm also taking some vitamin C to help scrub out my uterus and I am praying a lot. 

I just want things to be normal.

Anyway, we had a huge answer to prayer this week with Becky being cured of alpha gal! We finished her 30 days on the alpha gal homeopathy and she's fine. No more stomach pain--she has had eggs, sour cream and milk in the last 48 hours and had no issues. We are going slow with reintroducing foods and she's had no issues (besides some stress over eating things that used to make her sick) and she's over the moon excited. I reminded her that she still has lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivities to worry about but that she can enjoy all the beef again. 

I still have alpha gal, the homeopathic did not work for me. I'm super bummed about that but it means I just have to keep on praying and trusting God in this area. His ways are good! I still don't know why this is happening to me but I am trying to count it all joy.

As you all know I started a gluten free diet last week. The gluten free diet seemed to make me feel better for the first few days but then my chronic fatigue hit and hasn't gone away. But I am going to keep going at least three months to see if it helps. It can take awhile for gluten to work out of your system, and if I am still having miscarriage issues that will skew the results. So far the only things I have noticed from being gluten free is reduced brain fog and reduced bloating, both of which are very good signs...

I need to find a good gluten free noodle. I miss my einkorn noodles...and we have like 20 boxes to work through with the kids...

Esther ended this week by coming down with hand-foot-mouth. Or something like--she is covered in, I don't know what to call it--a very awful rash that is painful to her and very itchy and looks like boils. As long as it's not the bubonic plague I'm sure she will be fine...(and it is definitely not the bubonic plague) but Esther is sick today and she had a fever for most of the day. I stayed home with her today while Brian did the shopping and the lawn mowing. I made bone broth and split pea soup which was actually quite delicious. I plan to make a large pot of split pea soup for freezing tomorrow.

We water-colored a lot this week, but only swam once. Charlotte was here all week and Phoenix was here on Monday and we all had a grand time. We only have three more weeks of Charlotte left before she goes back to school, and her dad also takes one week of vacation so we won't have her that week...so two weeks left! But the kids are sad--they (and I) have grown to love her so much and it will be hard to say goodbye! We hope to watch her next summer if her Dad thinks it is a good fit, and if she wants to come. But next summer is so far away--the kids are planning to be pen pals and I am secretly smiling at how much that will help their penmanship and spelling. 

It wasn't as hot this week as it was last--the doors were open many a day and outside play was had. I myself did not go out as much as I should. My body needs outside time too and I need sun. I will try to make that a priority next week. 

My eye bothered me a lot this week--and I also ended the week with a sickness of sorts, a headache. I hope it will go away soon, and it is probably being exasperated by the light of this computer screen. 

I had vegan ice cream today which felt quite naughty due to my type two diabetes. It was delicious and perhaps I will repeat the indulgence next week on Reuben's birthday.

Everyone's watercolors were so beautiful. I really do have a blessed life. Even with the headaches and the miscarriages, God is so good.

Summer Break Week 8

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

I was reading in Psalms tonight and Psalm 136 was really encouraging. I love how the psalmist repeats those lines! It is like a soothing balm to my soul.

Becky and I are experimenting with buns!

Anyway this week was not a good health week for me but that is normal in my life. I also was quite grumpy about my limitations and that was not normal and next week I plan to have a good attitude no matter what pain or malady I am dealing with. 

I have decided to put myself on a gluten free diet to see if it will help any of my symptoms. I rarely talk about my 'mortal sufferings' but sometimes it is really awful and I have three kids and home school, literally what was I thinking? But here I am and while I still can, I will. I know I am quite blessed in so many ways. I have two eyes that work. I can walk and talk. My hands work. God is wonderful, and I am thankful. There are things I can't do but I will accept the bad with the good and walk on and

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, and His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Luckily no one broke any bones or had any catastrophes this week. I am so so thankful for the lord's providence. 

I found this amazing allergy app called "Fig" where I can scan bar-codes and the app will tell me if there is any alpha gal in the food. It's been an amazing blessing in my life. We took the app grocery shopping yesterday and were able to just scan things and Fig would turn red or yellow if we couldn't eat it and green for a yes. It's perfect, I'm thrilled, Becky is thrilled and we were so happy to find many things she wanted to eat that she could eat (like Simple Mills cake boxes! And crackers! And ice cream!) that we didn't know about. And it's so easy to scan, Becky can do it herself. No longer am I googling "is alpha gal in ________" in the middle of a grocery isle, now I can just scan and go. 

This week I planned a very chill week. We basically did our regular things (piano, PEMF, milk pickups and swimming) and didn't do anything exciting besides the swimming. Though I do think my house is pretty exciting anyway, what with one wild toddler, one artistic eight year old and one adventurous ten year old and a Charlotte--all cooped up together in 1400sq feet. 

toddlers and clothes...hah

Oh my gosh it was so hot this week. We had three days where the temperature reached over 100f (38c). I tried to keep swimming only for afternoons to beat the heat and the UV index because when it's hot outside we all become sweaty tired people very quickly. I know summer is here and this is normal...and it's wonderful...but I wish we had air conditioning in our car, that would help so much! And I wish I could eat regular ice cream. The vegan stuff is okay but it just isn't the same.

This week we also switched rooms around in our house and we did lots of moving (and even some painting) and carrying (why do we have so much stuff!) and everything is still a bit haphazard as we find new homes for all of our things. With growing kids and shifting needs we wanted the girls to have the biggest room and we gave ourselves the smallest, and Reuben the middle room. We did this for a few reasons--Brian and I only hang out in 'our room' when we are going to bed (or if we are sick) and we no longer needed the big room since no one is bunking with us anymore (we co-slept with each of our kids) and with homeschooling the kids are here all day and they need the space more. 

Oh, I can't believe we are growing out the baby phase once again! We did it before when Becky turned four and I had a whole year before I became pregnant with Esther...and here Esther is such a big 3 year old who wants to be just like her brother and sister...and here we are again saying goodbye, probably forever, to little baby onesies, sleepy snuggles, baby cuddles and diapers all in one go. SO many precious memories to mull over as we transition. 

The room switching is just a tangible representation of how our family is changing and growing and entering a new stage. There are several practical reasons for switching rooms now too, from Becky's introverted needs to our growing-older and chronic health issues. 

I know "personal space" can be an American concept (or at least I think it is) but we stay home a lot and I wanted everyone to have space to create, study, read and relax--myself included--in our tiny home. The only problem we have run into is there is no capacity to fit a desk in our room for my computer, which is a bummer. I have a desktop computer, it's an apple computer and it's about 6 years old and I love it. I have done video editing on it, the kids do their typing lessons on it, I write blog posts on it (I'm using a Chromebook right now) and because my main desktop computer is a Mac it's easy to access all my apps and add pictures quickly and easily as I write. I can't do that on a Chromebook and thus I have decided to save up for an Apple laptop and get a lap desk for my bed. We will find a place for the computer in my husband's shed, or perhaps I will park it in Reuben's room for movie nights--but I won't be able to use it consistently like I can a laptop. 

Speaking of changes, Reuben turns 11 in under two weeks! The teenage years are right around the corner and I can't be more excited. Well, I think Reuben is the most excited. He's so wonderful and I can't wait to see him grow up.

Also! Another thing--there are only four more weeks of summer break left! I told the kids today and everyone looked glum. But it is all good things, good things...I am excited for our new school year in August and I am praying to Jesus my energy levels and overall health will allow a smooth transition. But whatever the Lord wills...I will try to accept with an open and happy heart.

Who remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And has rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Esther napped next to me in my bed for almost all the writing of this post and her sweet little face and soft snores were the best background music.