test results.

SO after calling 3 times and like 2 1/2 weeks of nothing from the doctors office. I decided to call again this last Monday and all the blood tests were normal! Halleluiah for that!!!

C is now sitting on his own for the most part, I keep him surrounded by the boppy just to make sure since he is a bit unstable still, but 3 weeks ago he wasn't even close to this.

He is also eating a bunch more and I am feeding him jarred baby food from the store so I can keep an eye on how many calories he is eating at every meal. - plus he started refusing to eat when I'd try feeding him the homemade stuff, not sure why but oh well.

He is getting close to being able to pull himself up against the couch and such too! And when I pulled out the toys for helping him learn how to walk, he is getting the foot movements down quickly. So we may have a walker soon :)

she got in!

just a quick note, A got into the local branch of the charter school she's been attending! that means a 5 minute or so drive compared with the 18 minute drive! I'm o excited that she's in and that we will be saving a ton of gas starting next school year!

prayers welcome

I went to a pediatrician yesterday for C and thought that it was going to be a normal appointment, get weighed, answer some questions about how he is doing, a possible shot, and then leave. That's not how it went though....

We had the normal weigh in, wait for the Doctor, and then he came in. He asked if I had any concerns about C.

I told him not really, he's happy, he seems to be doing things that he's supposed to be doing compared to the ways A and G developed, he's eating alot, he's happy all the time.

Then the Dr asked me about the things he's been doing, is he sitting up on his own yet? No but A wasn't at this age either. Is he picking things up with his index finger and thumb (pincher reflex)? Yes. He pulled out a cotton ball for C to pick up just to make sure.

Then he asked me if I knew about his weight? Well, I know he's skinny, but all of our kids have been skinny. Did I know that he is less than the 5 percentile for his age? No. At the last well child check the Dr did say he was just over the 5% but nothing else. He then told me that its a danger zone for kids to be that skinny. Well DUH! I had to wonder, why hadn't the other Dr said anything to me?--- just a side note, he's been seeing another Dr that has a closer office, but after calling for appointments for G a few weeks ago for pink eye just to find out she was triple booked for a few days, and then to schedule this appointment and being told she couldn't see him till almost the end of the month I decided to change to a new Dr.--- Then we went over how much I'm feeding him, how often I'm feeding him, what I'm feeding him. All making me feel like I may to be to blame for his weight. He is eating ALOT when I feed him, he's eating 8-10 times a day, 2-3 of those feedings with baby food. How much is he eating when he gets formula or when I nurse? He rarely gets formula and how am I supposed to know how much hes getting when he nurses?

I was told to start feeding him beef, put some in his meals at every meal pretty much. He needs the iron and fat. Ok, I can do that.

Then he started the exam, Oh look, he has extra fingers and toes! Is this common? Ummm, yeah I was born with it, and his brother and sister were too. Then he tells me with poor weight gain, developmental delays, and the polydactyly all combined, 3 red flags as he calls them. There might be something wrong.

My heart dropped.

What is wrong with my baby? Why didn't Dr Powell say anything to me? Could it be my fault? maybe I'm not feeding him enough, but why hasn't he gained much weight sine he was 2 months old? It cant be because of me trying to loose weight, because that only started 2 months or so ago, not 7...

So then we needed to go in for some blood tests. And make appointments with a geneticist and endocrinologist. Just to make sure he says...

So after picking A up from school, and a quick bite for lunch for the kids and I (at which I fed C a hamburger patty with people looking at me like I'm a bad mom for feeding this to my baby), we went to the lab to have his blood drawn.

I was worried about how he'd do and had an hour of waiting for him to be called back to worry more, while I stopped A and G fighting like 100 times. They called us back and there are two people going to be doing it, one who has had experience drawing blood on infants the other, not so much... yay my baby is her training baby! (read that with lots and lots of sarcasm) And to make this pat of the story short, they ended up getting the blood, but while bursting the vein in both arms, getting blood on the chair, their hands, and my pants, and totally freaking A out with all the blood.

Also I've had some experience with drawing blood in college, his blood didn't look the bright red color its supposed to it was darker closer to a brown.

After getting home R gave C a blessing and in it he was told that all will work out, that he's being watched over, and that he is a special child. Later on R gave me a blessing too and it brought alot of comfort. I know with out a doubt that there are angels watching over this little boy! Although it worries me that he was told that so many times, I know that is what he needs, and why he is so happy.

We should have the results back next week (hopefully) from the blood tests and we will be seeing the endocrinologist April 2nd, I need to get some paperwork filled out and some medical information release documents to the Dr's that have seen him so that we can get an appointment scheduled with the geneticist.

I really hope its just going to be something easy to fix, medicines, change of diet, something like that. I guess we will find out next week, or at least I hope so...

So if any of you readers could pray for him, and for the doctors to figure out whats wrong and how to fix it, Our family would greatly appreciate it!

And so it continues :)

I've got to post this somewhere, but on Facebook seems silly since its not another HUGE amount lost, so I think I'll put it here.

I have lost count of how many weeks I've been working out and eating healthier, but I'm continuing to do it. I'm figuring out some stuff while I do it too which is nice, and very relieving.

I am finding that I actually like vegetarian meals alot more than I thought that I would. Black beans taste alot like meat (and I put them in alot of things) so I hardly notice the difference. I have to say that R has been noticing the difference though and isn't as happy about it. --a total 180 of when we got married and I was the one that had to have meat in everything and he was the one that didn't want it, but nearly 7 years can change your tastes-- I'm trying to find a good balance between vegetarian meals and ones with meat in them that aren't high in calories. I'm very glad I found the "blogosphere" with all the yummy recipes on them --although I have to admit that I have bookmarked and Pined quite a few not so healthy recipes to try out on my cheat day (Sunday)-- I have even found one blog that is all about healthy eating and low fat recipes! Now if those recipes didn't include so many expensive ingredients.

So far I have lost about 14 lbs, I am one pound from my pre pregnancy with G, and pre broken ankle weight! I have lost 1 dress size too, although I am a bit confused as to if going from one even # to the next even # down is one or two sizes, if its 2 than I have dropped more than I thought!

R is starting to loose some wight too, not that he is trying, but the lack of snack foods and candy in the pantry/freezer and healthier meals are helping out. :)

Although I'm not perfect every week with working out as much as I told myself I would, I try and I'm always below or right on target for my calories for the day. I can't wait to get down to the dress size and weight I was when R and I got married (is it too much to hope that it might happen before our anniversary in 5 months?). I know I will get there one day -- as long as my hips haven't been stretched out from 3 pregnancies-- and who knows maybe I will keep going and loose some more since even then I was on the edge of being "fluffy" according to my BMI. If not that's fine too, as long as I feel better about myself and I'm getting healthier for my children and myself.

So here's my challenge to all of you, if you aren't doing something to be healthy right now, start walking or something everyday. I know I want to be there for my kids in the future and not have them worry about me dieing too young (as I sometimes worry for my own parents). I hope that you all might make a choice now to be there for your family and friends too!

So happy!

So on one of my last posts I mentioned that I was going to start working out again. I decided to ditch the wii game, as much fun as it was I needed something more. So I pulled out my Leslie Sandstone Walk away the pounds video and my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I have been doing 3 miles in on the 4 mile walk (doing around 12-15 minute miles, according to the clock and as long as she has the distance right), and then putting on the 3o day shred (using 3 lb weights this time instead of the 5 lb ones I did last time around). I have also been using a handy app on my phone called My Fitness Pal (also online) to count my calories.

I am just over 4 weeks into it and have lost a total of 8 lbs! That is great but the thing that makes me the happiest is the fact that I am (using a Biggest looser term here) now in One-derland! That is a weight that I haven't been at for almost 3 years. After breaking my ankle and being unable to move much for 2 months the weight packed on and I never did anything about it. I also put on more after C was born :(

After looking at pictures taken around Christmas, and seeing just how horrible I looked, I decided I had to do something about it. I didn't want to look or feel like a cow any more! So here I am on my weight loss journey.

I am so thankful for a wonderful husband who is supporting me in this, and is so kind and avoids snacking on things that he knows I would want, and making sure that friends take the extra goodies that are left over on my cheat day (Sunday) so that I wont be tempted the rest of the week. Although some days are better than others, I have been under my calorie goal most days and I do get a work out in at least 3 days a week. I am going to continue on this journey, for my self esteem, my health, and most importantly for my family so I can play with my children and have fun with my husband. :)

a new me

I have made a goal to loose some weight and many many inches! I hope to follow through with this much better than my goal after C was born. I set a date for April/May to get to loose a dress size or 2. Having a 7 month old is making things a bit difficult but I am willing to try. Time crunch and nursing make it hard but I till do it!

Something I have found to make it a bit easier on myself is Dancing. Particularly a new dance game we picked up for our Wii, Just Dance is a fun way to work out and not realize it. I decided to start doing it for 1 hour a day (if time permits, and anyone with a baby knows how hard that can be at times). I plan on picking up more games since they have 3 of the teen/adult kind and 2 kid ones. We have the 1st teen/adult and just dance 2 kids. R and I have also discovered that its fun to do together so it may be a new way for us to work out together and have a "date" of sorts at the same time. According to an app on my phone an hour of doing it burns about 480 calories, so that combined with a diet R and I are planing on starting will hopefully work out!

I'm tired of feeling like I do about my body. Although I know most of what I need to change is inside and not the outside. I am planing on using these things as part of the new and improved me for this new year.

As for the inside, I'm planning on picking up some books to help myself heal from things that have gone on in the past. I won't go into details as to what they are, as they are mine to deal with. But know that I will be working on that as well.

I hope to change the way I feel about myself and the world around me. Join me on my journey to a new me, whether its just reading or doing something yourself. :)

updates on C

C is becoming quite an active little one :)

R and I agree that he's right in between A and G. He's a problem solver like A was but likes to do physical things like G did. He's not quite as strong in the areas as A and G were but he's his own person.

He was rolling to get every where but this last week has discovered a crawl of sorts, like a lazy army crawl. He's a big eater, green beans being the only food he doesn't like. He's our bet eater yet. He has found he can make the D sound and says "DaDaDa" all the time! He's a great sleeper and will fall asleep with almost no tears at night :) He loves his jumper and will try to jump if you hold him standing.

He loves playing with A and G and will look around for them with a worried face when he can't find them. He's always got a smile for daddy, and loves to sit on Daddy's lap or have Daddy feed him. He is also a very big flirt with all the girls he sees.

Its hard to believe he's 7 months old already time has flown by faster than ever before. Mom H wasn't kidding when she said time goes fast once you have more kids and one or more are in school. I'm trying to enjoy every moment because I know its not going to last forever.

I would post a picture of him if blogger would let me, but I cant so refer to facebook for any pictures of him.