Tortilla Factory gone bad

We finally had the inevitable... a broken bone!  <womp womp>

Anchor and Maverick were playing Tortilla Factory in the garage. They toss elastic workout bands on the treadmill and watch them fall off... and put that on repeat.  #boymom  

One of the bands started to go under the belt and Anchor tried to get it out. 😖

I was getting ready for the day (it was around 7:30am) and Maverick came running in with Anchor screaming behind him.  (This is a somewhat normal occurrence... "he hit me, he took my car, I fell off my bike, Blue chewed my shoes up" etc).  I heard "Anchor got his hands stuck in the treadmill" and saw they were scraped and some of the skin had come off.  At first, I thought it was similar to a stubbed toe.  However, Anchor kept screaming and has hands were badly shaking.  Kenny had left to go get tacos, a car wash, and gas (thank you Covid-19)!  I FaceTimed him and he decided to come home.  

Meanwhile, Anchor kept screaming and I knew it was much worse than stubbed toe. A lot of skin and been ripped off and his fingers were quickly swelling.  I called my sister, who can be so calm in these situations, but neither one of us knew what to do. 😂

When Kenny got home, he agreed we should call our pediatrician (who is a family doctor with many years of ER experience).  We definitely didn't want to deal with the ER and coronavirus and quarantine. Kenny called his mom to come watch Joshua and Maverick, and I'll never forget how quickly she responded without asking any questions.  We gave Anchor some ibuprofen and headed out the door.  

Our doctor greeted us in full surgery gear (as Anchor said "a blue dress, yellow gloves, a mask, and a plastic shield").  He took x-rays and found out he broke the proximal phalanx of middle finger on his left hand (finger joint closest to palm).  He had three other 2nd degree burns between his fingers that were cleaned and bandaged.  And to top it all off, a tetanus shot!  😩

He was so brave but my goodness that was SO hard for mama to watch!  He sat next to daddy and watched Lion King as a distraction, but there were many quivering lips and tears.  Anchor passed out in the car on our way to Chick-Fil-A for chocolate milk and little burgers (chicken minis). 

Mama's adrenaline didn't wear off until 5 that afternoon and I.Was.Toast and sick to my stomach.  I could hardly eat all day and cycled with a friend to distract my racing mind.  My energy was in the negatives.  We had Sonic for dinner (at Anchor's request) and called it a day. 

We were supposed to go to my sister's house and have a parade for Nana, see the Blue Angels fly over DFW, and then play at a park. Anchor was SO excited and wore his airplane shirt.  Despite everything that happened though, he had a great attitude!

I'm so thankful for our doctor, for family and prayers, and that we serve a God who goes before us and prepares the way: getting into pediatrician instead of ER, Janette being able to watch boys, Kenny being close to home, Anchor pulling his hands out of treadmill before more damage could have been done, and giving us bodies that heal!  

God is good, no matter what!

lifestyle change

The week before Christmas I had a crazy GI bug that left me wishing I would just die.  I couldn't eat anything, I was constantly nauseous, and my numerous trips to the bathroom could not be counted.

In the midst of it all, I promised the Lord if He saw me through it I would make a lifestyle change.

Not some crazy, fad diet.  Not a cleanse.  Not a 21 day habit-changing-fix.

But a transforming, healthy, lifestyle change.

And He did. Hallelujah!

But let's back up a little... in December, my friend Chrissy gave me a code to try Camp Gladiator for free during the month of January.  I was lucky blessed to find an indoor location, because me + 32 degree weather don't go together.  The first day of camp, a huge storm was moving through with the possibility of hail!  I had knots in my stomach and did not sleep at all the night before.  But I made it that first day and the rest is history! I fell completely in love!

My trainer is adorable, 37 weeks pregnant and rocking her body!  I'm held accountable to get up and go every time (right now, on MWF at 6:10am).  The other campers are constantly high-fiving me and encouraging me to do better.  I actually get to talk to people out loud, instead of just in my head, like I've been doing at the gym.  It's pulled me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to do better. It feels like PE for adults, which is interesting because I HATED PE when I was younger.  I was so self-conscious and always fearful of being left out.  Now I find myself being more competitive... not willing to come in last, to finish the exercises before the timer, to increase my weights a little more.

This last week, my trainer has mentioned that the way we look is only 20% of our workout!  Say what?!? That means 80% is what I'm eating.  And while it could be much, much worse... it needs to be a whole lot better!

Since my GI bug, I've been praying and asking the Lord to show me what He wants this lifestyle change to look like.  What needs to be cut out?  What needs to be added in?  What are the portions I need?  How many times a day should I eat?  When/how much can I splurge?  I don't want food to control me, as it has in the past when I've tried to diet and count calories.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

I want that idea, my body as a temple for the Holy Spirit, to be at the forefront of my mind every day.  Not a number on the scale, or a certain size of clothes, or even a body measurement.  I'm sure all of that will follow in time, but I don't want it to be my goal.  I just want to be conscious of what I'm eating and how I'm taking care of my temple.

So here's what I feel like He's been saying to me:

1. increase water intake to 72oz per day
2. breakfast - 2 eggs or protein shake, fruit
3. lunch - protein (lunchmeat, chicken, tuna), veggies/salad, fruit (maybe add cheese, depending on dinner)
4. snack - nuts or greek yogurt
5. dinner - smaller portions of meals I'm already preparing for family; add more vegetables and limit carbs
6. two desserts per week
7. Starbucks once a week 
8. alcohol 2x per week (1 glass of wine or 1 margarita)
9. splurge one day a week (within moderation)
10. exercise: CG 3-4x per week; lift heavy (body pump or at gym) 1-2x per week
11. supplements - MultiGreens, NingXia Red, grapefruit, fish oil, vitamin C and D, probiotic
12. progessence 2x/day- to help my cycle

The "old me" would have succeeded at this for maybe a week... if that!  But I am no longer "putting off" the things He has put on my heart.  I read yesterday in my quiet time that my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).  While I don't want my sinful flesh to rule, I want my flesh to be strengthened to do what He's called me to do... even when it's not easy or it doesn't taste good. 

Lord, please help me to keep my body as a temple for Your Holy Spirit. May I take every thought (for junk food or laziness) captive to obey You and what You've called me to do. 

progress - something's got to change

At the beginning of this year, I made some goals with an actual intention of keeping them.  This is how it's going:

1. spend time in the Word daily - Unfortunately, this hasn't happened at all.  I am reading through Dangerous Duty of Delight with Melissa, but that's not the same as spending time in His Word, listening to Him, and seeking what He has for me and our family.  So Kenny and I hope to start getting up around 6 or 6:30 to read our Bibles and pray together.  We've discussed reading through Romans since we are studying it in our homegroup.  I also plan to start the Busy Mamas Bible Study on Psalm 22.  And I just need to start praying more... for Kenny, our boys, our family, our friends, our country.  The list could go on and on.  I plan to keep an ongoing list of prayers in my phone so whenever the opportunity presents itself, I will have a plan and be able to focus my time wisely.

2. be up before kids - This has been difficult as our sleep has been more interrupted lately. Joshua has started waking up screaming again.  We ask him what's wrong and he has no idea.  I think it's either night terrors or spiritual warfare. We play Scripture Lullabies in his room all night and I'm trying to remember to pray over them and their room before bed.  But I'm often so exhausted at the end of the day that my good intentions seem to disappear.  But regardless of how much sleep we get, I need to be up before them.  Hopefully goal #1 will help in this area.

3. keep house clean and welcoming -  I think a schedule will help in this area.  But I need to make one and think about it more... in all my spare time.

4. homeschool Joshua - This has been going very well! I just need my kids to stay healthy and we could get more accomplished.  I'm loving our curriculum and Joshua's enthusiasm for it as well.  It's been great fun so far!

5. spend time with each child individually every day -  Yup, need to work on this too.  Why can't I clone myself!?!?

6. establish bedtime routine - We were doing pretty good with this. I've slacked the last few weeks, but it should be pretty easy to resume. This has been a good reminder!

7. make four homemade meals per week - Lately I've been very convicted about my eating habits.  Food has definitely been an emotional release and I'll even say it's become an idol.  The Lord has shown me He created food to give our bodies (our temple - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) fuel and energy so we can accomplish His will.  It's not supposed to replace seeking Him when our lives become stressful and difficult.  Yet, that's what I've been doing.  So I started Whole 30 today!!!  I won't be eating sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, or processed foods for 30, yes thirty, days!  It's required a lot of meal planning and shopping but I'm pretty excited about it.  Eating Whole 30 also means I will be making ALL of my meals.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner... no eating out, no cheat meals, no shortcuts.  I also know it's going to be tough... and I figure it will be like drug withdrawals.  The first few days/weeks will be the worst.  But eventually my body will be so much healthier, my habits changed, my mom pooch gone (hopefully), and I'll be free from my sugar addiction! I'm eager to see my results!!!

8. exercise three times a week - I started out exercising every day... that lasted two weeks!  I'm hoping to start walking more (with the boys!!) and to keep working out as well.  I just feel so much better when I do.  It's time consuming and I don't want it becoming a higher priority than spending time with God, so I've got to figure out how to fit it into my day.

I feel like so many areas of my life need a drastic change and ASAP.  I know that all of this can't be fixed tomorrow.  Lord, show me the areas that are most important and need attention now.  Show me how to structure my day so that I can be most glorifying to You.  I want to be a vessel fit for Your use.

my first *almost* emergency room trip as a mom

I know as a mom of three boys that trips to the ER are inevitable. But I don't think any amount of experience or knowledge could prepare me for how scary it is. My emotions become involved so quickly, everything seems to escalate, and before I know it fear has completely taken over.

Here's how it went down:

I was making the kids breakfast while Kenny fed Anchor his bottle. I noticed he kept gagging and I thought it was odd but didn't pay much else attention to it. After Anchor finished, he kept choking and seemed to have trouble breathing. I noticed a rash around his mouth and neck. I showed Kenny but he didn't seem concerned, made comments about how I was overreacting, and went to work.

8:52AM

I took off Anchor's amber teething necklace and posted this picture on my Stone Soup Group Facebook page hoping someone knew what it was.  Meanwhile, Anchor kept gagging, choking, and acting like he couldn't breathe. I became really concerned but had no idea what to do. Then he started vomiting... and didn't stop! I finally realized Kenny had given him raw cow's milk instead of the goat milk. (He refused to apologize for it which escalated into a fight, so now we weren't talking.) I felt better knowing what it was, but still didn't have a peace about doing nothing.  I put him in the bathtub and texted the picture to Janette.  The rash was quickly spreading and Anchor continued to vomit. I called my pediatrician (who is 45 minutes away!) and the nurse said she needed to ask the doctor and would call me back.

8:19AM

Janette saw this picture and said take him to the ER. She had been texting a friend of hers who was a nurse. This really freaked me out... the rash was spreading so fast! I had the boys, Kenny was mad and headed to work, how could this be happening!?!? I called Melissa, but she didn't answer. Great, the boys now had to go with me. The doctor's office called back and said to bring him in. I responded that they were too far and I was on my way to the ER. I threw the boys into the car - Joshua was in shorts and no shoes, Maverick was still in his pajamas. Neither had coats and with the windchill temps were in the 20s!

I told Janette I didn't even know where the ER was... (awesome, I now sound like a complete idiot to my mother-in-law). She texted a location and I just started driving. Kenny met me there (much to my surprise). I went in and they told me there was an hour and a half wait! I told them this was an emergency and they informed they were not an ER.  I felt completely humiliated and asked them where one was.

We got back in the car and headed five minutes down the street to the *real* ER. By this time, Anchor's rash had greatly improved, he wasn't vomiting, and had actually fallen asleep. Kenny asked why were even taking him in and I told him because his mom and our pediatrician said to. Kenny again explained that I was overreacting since we knew what this was from. He said to give him Benadryl and take him home.

Thankfully, by the time I got home, his rash was almost completely gone and I never had to give him Benadryl (praise the Lord)!  And the lesson we all learned: Anchor can't have dairy! At least not now, and we'll have to do some allergy testing. I'm praying he won't have an allergy. What a nightmare that will be!

When all was said and done, I realized I'm thankful for Kenny's wisdom and ability to think clearly when all else seems to be falling apart. I learned I need to pray for peace and not allow fear to take over. I don't want to be a weak, incompetent, fearful mom who becomes a wreck the moment something bad happens. I'm so grateful this situation was nothing worse and that God protected Anchor from a more serious allergic reaction.

clean eating experiment: day 1

(Read about Kenny and Sarah Jane's clean eating experiment here.)


Breakfast:  FRUIT AND NUT BUTTER WAFFLE

Kenny had just finished working out and had a Shakeology.

I had a whole wheat waffle with peanut butter and strawberries. *I added maple syrup since I'm not counting calories.  I also had a glass of raw cow's milk instead of the skim/almond milk they suggest.

It was good, definitely not as satisfying as buttermilk waffles and pancake syrup with a glass of chocolate milk. =)

Snack 1:  MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO

I topped some arugula with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and had a side of crackers. The book suggested 5-10 crackers, I had 15.

This was also good. Changes I'll make next time:  buy better mozzarella (aka not the Great Value brand). Use spring lettuce or mix with arugula. The arugula by itself was just too strong.

Lunch: CITRUS GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Ingredients:  arugula (I also added in spring mix), chicken, mandarin orange (recipe called for grapefruit), goat cheese, walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette

I'm not usually a fan of salads... unless someone else makes them. For some reason, I just don't have the magic touch. Even if I put it in a pretty strawberry bowl.  This was good, but not the most amazing salad I've ever had, though it was probably healthier.

Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with me and it all came back up.  I haven't thrown up since my morning sickness stopped around 13 weeks. So I don't know if this was pregnancy related or what. But I was STARVING as soon as I finished and Whataburger popped into my head. I caved, loaded the kids up and had a burger and fries.

Because Kenny was out driving around, I packed his salad this morning before he left.  He said it was good, he didn't come home raving about it! But he ate it all, so that's a plus.

Snack 2:  FRUIT AND RICOTTA PITA

Surprisingly I was hungry around 3:30 and decided to make my snack.  I heated up a piece of whole wheat pita bread (the recipe called for a small 4" piece, but mine was definitely double that size).  Then I topped it with ricotta cheese, fresh peach slices and cinnamon.  The recipe called for slivered almonds but I couldn't find mine! ARGH!  I know they would've added a yummy crunch!

This was really good, I could definitely eat it often. It was almost like dessert... I felt guilty eating it.

Kenny had an apple.


THOUGHTS:
It probably wasn't the best idea to try this out in my 35th week of pregnancy. I'm starving and don't know if it's because I'me eating less, but still okay... or if I truly need to be eating more.  I don't want to starve Anchor!

The prep work wasn't bad at all. I haven't been in kitchen all day like I thought I would be.

The food wasn't that bad.  Different, yes. But I'm sure it just takes some getting used to.

I did enjoy buying fresh fruit/vegetables and I felt much better after eating. I didn't feel guilty or have to give myself the "you should start eating better" talk. That's always a plus. ;)

I guess today was 75% successful. Hoping tomorrow is 100%! Though it'll be difficult between Bible study and eating out with friends. Only time will tell.

Kenny and Sarah Jane's Clean Eating Experiment

Eating healthy *consistently* has always been a struggle for Kenny and me.  We can manage a day or two, maybe a week but it's never been a lifestyle change. 

I desperately want it to be so.

I want to set a good example for our boys. I want to honor God by keeping our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  They can't function effectively if we continue feeding them junk food and an occasional baby carrot or two.  I want to feel good because I've fed my body nutritious food. And I want to offset our chances for cancer or autoimmune diseases by what I eat. I know that God is sovereign and that I could nothing but salads and organic chicken every day for the rest of my life and still die from cancer.  But if He has given us a desire to change our eating habits, why ignore Him?

Because junk food is cheap.

Junk food lasts forever.

Junk food tastes amazing.

Junk food is easy to make.

Junk food fills me up.

I could go on and on.  

So far, it's been my experience that eating clean takes a lot of prep work, trips to multiple grocery stores, multiple times a week because fruits/vegetables go bad so quickly.  It takes an insane amount of self-control and discipline on a daily basis but especially out in public or at friends' houses. 

HOWEVER...

Junk food makes me feel like crap and clean eating gives me energy!  I despise the way my body feels and looks after eating junk food and love how I look after eating clean, even if it's only been a few days.  And knowing it's what the Lord has called us to do makes it all the more important.  

And we know we "can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength."  

So last night I made a meal plan and grocery list and we began what I'm calling: 

Kenny and Sarah Jane's Clean Eating Experiment

My goal is to find out: 

Exactly how much prep work will this require?  

How expensive will our grocery bills be?  

How many stores will I have to shop at?

How will the food taste?

Will we get sick of eating the same things over and over again?

Can we eat everything I buy before it goes bad?

What steps do I (as wife, mom, and homemaker) need to take to make this a lifestyle change?

How can I make this more doable for Kenny while he's on the road at work?

How will the kids handle it?

How will we handle eating in public or with friends?

Will I be able to manage this with two kids and a newborn while homeschooling?

I plan to do the experiment for a week, reassess & and make necessary changes, and then do another round before making conclusions.  I also hope to post pictures of our meals and post frequently on how things are going... mainly so I have a journal of how I felt each day along the way. 

So here's the meal plan (recipes from Les Mills PUMP Get Lean Nutrition Guide).  This week I'm focusing on breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  I plan to add dinners next week. Obviously, being 35 weeks pregnant, my goal is not to "get lean" right now and I'm not doing the workouts.  I'm definitely  making a few modifications that I'll note.

This week's plan required me to shop at:

Walmart ($83.61)

Whole Foods ($38.05)

Kroger ($73.00)

Sprouts

*I bought a few household items not on meal plan at Walmart and Kroger so that's why it they're so high.

This is definitely keeping my mind off being due in a few short weeks and giving me something to do while I prop my feet up and take it easy.  I'm really hoping and praying I can find a groove that works for our family because eating clean AND working out will really help me lose all this baby weight starting in January.  And Kenny and I both want to be beach ready for our 10 year anniversary trip to Costa Rica next summer!