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.