Peas and Gas

You know how you go from a link on one blog to another blog to another and end up reading all kinds of random stuff? Yeah, you know you do it. The screen on my lappy is kaputz so I've been relying on my phone and the use of my mom's computer. The phone works great except it's a little slower than a PC and makes the battery die more quickly; therefore, I try not to browse the WWW on it much. Anyway, I haven't had much of an opportunity to do much browsing, but I did get to a blog the other night that made me ever-so-grateful yet again.

I have many sleepless nights because...well, for many reasons. I totally screwed up Xander's sleep associations, and trying to break that habit with him is...not yet hopeless. But not getting but a few nights of more than 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep for months on end sure can make daytime decision making kinda crazy. And it can make me super moody if I don't watch it. So anyway, I was having one of those days. I just needed a few hours of straight sleep. Wasn't gonna happen. Xander is having more issues than ever taking a bottle. So I decided to browse and came upon a blog of a girl about my age with a couple of kiddos. I don't know why the kiddos aren't breastfeed, and that's none of my business, but after reading about all the crazy meds her youngest is on and the crazy expensive formula, I thanked Jesus yet again for providing me with great nutrition for my baby boy. And I said out loud, "I will nurse him all night long if I need to..."

So, of course, the very next night I think Xander wanted to see how true that was. Lol. I had to laugh every time he woke up...every single hour...and I knew what was bothering him - stinkin gas. Poor kid. It's those peas I give him when I eat dinner. I forgot that I can't feed him peas in the evening. But hey, I'm finding humor in this now.

1. I need to check my emails. I can do it through my phone, and all day long I get these email notifications on it so I usually deal with them right then (or as close to right then as possible) so that I don't get behind. I tried to make myself feel more productive today so I ignored emails.

2. I polished my toe nails today for the first time in a long time. Years ago I threw away anything that had to do with nail polish because of the toxic junk in it all. In 2008 I bought some again just because and used it for a couple of months. Today I pulled it out, and Xander wanted to eat my toes.

3. That dumb sleep book only worked for like 2 nights. We're back to square 1. Well, maybe it's all this back and forth from Texas to Kansas. Either way, I like to blame everyone else for Xander's incessant night-waking, and I like to curse every living thing as well when he does it. It's not as bad actually. He still wakes, but with the help of said book, I'm feeling more refreshed.

4. My lappy is still broken, and therefore, I'm still blogging from my phone...which I will stop for tonight because it could be cause #65 for Xander's 19th waking.

just blah

Car stuff is stupid. There is a reason I don't deal with car stuff, and that is because I know nothing about cars. I also don't pretend to know about cars. I simply leave that up to Nathan. One day when I can get on a computer that works, I'll share a story about how I asked a dude at Walmart for an engine.

Anyway, it feels awesome when mechanics take advantage of me because I'm stupid when it comes to cars. Ugh. Never, never. I said it before, and I need to just stick to it - leave the car stuff to Nathan. I got jipped today, and that really upsets me.

Not just that but do you ever feel like you just don't cut it? Today I don't feel like I'm cut out for this mom business. I don't say that to get your sympathy or for you people to email me sweet little notes. I had a rough day, and that happens. I've never believed in dwelling on or living by how I feel for feelings are fickle. It'll all be okay. It was just a rough day, and I that's ok.

Since You've Been Gone

You're visiting some people off and on during the summer. You've been away for a couple of weeks when upon your return, they say, "It was SOOOO nice not having anyone around."

Think I've worn out my welcome? That would be a yes.

It Washes White as Snow

So I was going to be posting more regularly...then SPLAT! My computer broke. I'm using my phone right now; it's just not the most ideal way to blog. It IS pretty handy, though, isn't it? Who would've thought 50 years ago that you'd be able to do this...get connected to what we call the WWW through a handheld device? Pretty stinkin cool, people. Hey, I'm working on being positive.

Can I just say how incredibly blessed I am to be married to my husband? Just when I was gonna have my weekly complaint venting session, out of nowhere he starts talking about how spoiled we are. "We" was in reference to Americans. We'd had a conversation with a friend who really wants to get married and have babies...but there's no prospect...and Nathan says it's because we've all become too spoiled...because she wants someone who has all his ducks in a row...and then some...someone who makes at least $75k/year, has a house already, paid-for cars, an established career, etc. Nathan says it's marrying for money; she says she's just no spring chicken. Well, there are many more issues we could go into with all that, but he reminded me yet again of how blessed we are.

I can complain about the government, politics, the FDA, Kansas, and this camper, but I've still got it made. I'm not out on the streets begging for bread. Nathan reminded me that in India thousands of people lay on the filthy streets, not having eaten for days. We've witnessed some of the worst poverty in life first-hand. People, children, babies living in some awful conditions.

Yet here I am complaining about laying on an old-school mattress because the crazy springs jab my hips, ribs, back all night long. Some people would give anything not to lay on concrete.

I complain about having lost sleep not only because Xman wants to nurse all night long, but this time because the loud rain on this tin and metal kept waking him...not to mention the wind that shool the thing all night long. Then there are people who don't get shelter from the rain. And there are people who would gladly nurse all night long if they could just have a baby.

I have my health. That's more than probably 6 out of 10 people.

I live a life of luxury compared to millions of people on this earth. So why am I complaining??

Dear Jesus, please forgive me for behaving like a spoiled, rotten child. Cultivating a grateful heart in my children starts with me. Let me not so easily forget how very, very blessed I am.

Again the Food Snob - Water

I think it was my brother who first called me a food snob. I was going to spend about a week with him and his family, and I took some of my own food. Now, just so you don't completely write off my tact, I don't typically take my own food when I go to someone else's house, whether it be for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just for fun. I will eat whatever the host is making period. And I enjoy it completely. HOWEVER, if I plan on spending more than a few days wherever I am, I will probably take a few things that to me are almost essential.

I don't drink homogenized or pasteurized cow's milk. I just don't. I gave it up years ago, and I don't miss it a bit. I make sure I get my vitamin D through sunshine and my diet. The same with calcium. These are some of the reasons. I had some a couple of times after Xander was born, and I realized more the reason why I'll continue to stay away from it - a large percentage of babies can't tolerate cow's milk protein. What's crazy is that many breastfeeding moms are told by their babies' pediatricians that their babies are lactose intolerant when in reality it's probably a food sensitivity and very likely it could have something to do with the mom drinking cow's milk. But instead of recommending an elimination diet, doctors too often place the baby on formula. Sometimes very expensive prescription formula, and baby has to miss out on the amazingness of breast milk.

But moving on.

So because I don't drink cow's milk, and most Americans don't get raw milk from the farm down the road, I take my own almond milk if I think I'm going to need milk at all.

I may also take my own sprouted bread. Most Americans have now bought into the 'whole grain' thing. Whole grains are great if they're not overprocessed and overkilled. When allowed to sprout, they're great. But most people don't know about this, and so in order not to jam my system with bread my body can't process well, I take my own if I plan to be there more than a day or two.

Those are a couple of the main things I'll take with me when spending several days away from home. It was during one of those trips to see my brother and his family that they looked at me like I was sticking up my nose at them, and my brother said something about, "...so you're stuck up about what you eat? you're a snob about it?..." And that's what he called me for a while - a food snob. I don't know if my family understand why I do what I do, but at least they don't get offended by it. By now they're used to me.

So recently a couple of people asked me how it is that I eat, what I eat, and how I stay healthy (for the most part). One friend specifically wanted to know how I lost my 'baby weight' so quickly after having Xander.

Little by little I'm going to blog about our family's eating habits. But to start with, read my friend, Missi's blog. I've referenced this blog because it's pretty much how we eat in our home. There are things I don't follow and other things I do that she doesn't, but all in all, it's a great article on how to begin eating well.

So if you want to do one thing today, here's something to do - drink water. Stop drinking sodas and sugar-laden fruit juices and drink water. Drink water, drink water, drink water.

Reason #415...

...that Kansas gets on my nerves - dirt roads. Country dirt roads. They're everywhere. We're staying on one. And they get my car dirty. Nathan took the time to wash the mud off my car from the last time it rained, and I had to track through the dumb roads. As soon as we go back on the dirt road, his efforts seem futile. They're nill. No, the car isn't muddy; but it's dirty yet again.

I wouldn't care so much, but I'm not a fan of getting myself dirty each and every time I step in/out of the car.

It's only a season. It's only a season.

Now for good things...
...

...check back later.