who do i trust?

March 9, 2012 by mama lola

what a stressful 24 hours i have had. stressful, because i have been diagnosed with strep throat for the fifth time this winter. stressful, because i am not a carrier of this sickness, but a sufferer of it. stressful, because i was prescribed an antibiotic my pharmacist said could be passed on through my milk to my lion. it was implied i should stop breastfeeding.

my heart broke a bit at the thought of weaning my 20 month old lion. these days he only nurses once or twice a day, but the thought of ending those sweet, quiet moments we share made me realize it is not our time yet. i’m a huge believer in extended breastfeeding and think the benefits are immeasurable.

[ bear at 20 months, the age lion is now. ]

bear self-weaned when i was first diagnosed with my tumour back in december 2009. he was about 22 months and i was devastated. i think my milk changed as i was taking lots of strong pain killers. i had imagined tandem nursing both boys for a long time, and was devastated when bear boldly refused the breast.

yesterday, when it was suggested i wean, my heart broke. immediately.
i scoured the internet for information about breastfeeding and taking this strong antibiotic i was prescribed, and the literature basically says it’s a no-no. dear hubby talked to our pharmacist, explaining that lion is not a baby, but a 20 month old who eats well and only nurses for comfort really. still, he said it was not a good idea.

this morning, i called motherisk, an organization that helps pregnant and nursing mama’s figure out what medications or drugs they can use. they are affiliated with sick kids hospital, in toronto. i waited all night to call and this morning i talked to a lovely nurse, who explained that it was fine to breastfeed lion and take this antibiotic. if my kid was a baby and i was exclusively breastfeeding then it would not be recommended, but because he is big and healthy and eats solids like a normal kid, then it’s fine.

THANK GOODNESS!!!

finally, some good news!
i have learned over the last few years, the most medical experts will air on the side of caution and tell a mama not to continue breastfeeding. it’s best to consult with people who are experts at breastfeeding. it’s not because they want to misinform you, but because there is too much info out there. plus, when it comes to breastfeeding i think it becomes a liability thing. my point, it’s ok to ask for a second or third or fourth opinion.

[ kitchen helper. ]

so, here we at home for the day. i have taken one antibiotic and feel slightly high and loopy already. i’m sure that will pass once i get some lunch in me. the boys are busy with play-doh and i am wishing i could crash-out on the couch and watch degrassi junior high (my latest netflix addiction)!

fingers crossed the strep will be gone after this round of meds and i wont have to go see a specialist and talk surgery! oh, boy!

wednesday was a bad day.

March 8, 2012 by mama lola

Yesterday was a disaster from sunrise to sun down. It started off with bear’s eczema bothering him so intensely that he was running around crying and screaming. he complained that his eczema patches both hurt and were itchy. poor guy! This all happened before breakfast was even eaten, so it set a negative tone on the rest of the day. If it gets any worse, I might have to look at picking up something like tremotyx eczema treatment to try and treat it.

We had some spring like temperatures, so i decided we should head to the park first thing in the morning. Oh, boy! Bear cried all the way there, sitting on the sidewalk demanding to go home. Lion just sat in the wagon, oblivious to the tears. The walk home was the same.

Once at home, bear cried about taking his boots off, eating lunch, watching a show on netflix, his brother, his glasses, his eczema, various toys, daddy being at work, dinner time, bath time, bedtime, and so on and so on.

I was not at my best either and so having both of us in grumpy, tired moods made for a terrible day. I am under the weather (yes, again!) and my patience is almost non-existant, even though I am trying desperately to hold it together.

I hope today is better, even though it is dark and grey outside and raining.
Let’s at least hope bear’s eczema isn’t so bothersome today. The kid needs a break!

Smile!

coffee drip.

March 7, 2012 by mama lola

Nothing beats a fresh cup of coffee. My friends know I’m a bit of a coffee addict and can’t start my day properly without a good cuppa java. One of them recently told me that the espresso grinders at Helix Coffee are all solid choices
but I’m not looking for a new coffee machine at the minute. There’s not much purpose considering how I choose to take my coffee. To be honest, I drink it like a teenager, with plenty milk and sugar, and i’m not too picky what from – though a Mugs Photo Personnalisés, or custom photo mug, is always a great option! In any case, I am currently on the road to decrease my caffeine intake and the amount of sugar I put in. I hear, coffee tastes great black, but I’m not quite ready for that yet!

For christmas my sister-in-law got me a lovely grinder and yummy beans to go with it. the taste difference between freshly ground and already ground beans, is always such a wonderful surprise on the palette! It was such a thoughtful gift, I am going to get one to give to a friend of mine for her birthday next month. At first, I was not sure where to look for a coffee grinder, but after reading some reviews here, I feel a bit more confident that I know what I need!

Looks like it’s going to be a lovely warm day here today. With my morning coffee drunk and play-doh cleaned up, I think it’s time to get dressed and head to the park.

HAPPY HUMP DAY FOLKS!

anxiety: mine or his?

March 7, 2012 by mama lola

i ordered some much needed parenting books from amazon and they arrived yesterday. i am looking for resources to help with my eldest son, bear. he’s always been on the more quiet, sensitive end of the spectrum. he gets overwhelmed by people and places quickly, especially if they are new. i think he actually feels anxious, a lot of the time. i don’t think he has an actual disorder, but i do recognize that he is very sensitive to changes around him. and he internalizes everything, taking things to heart and he struggles with the waves of emotion that hit him. This is a common issue, and whilst adults can Visit this website to find solutions, it can be harder for someone so young.

[ lego and patch time.]

whenever we are getting ready to go somewhere bear immediately slams on the brakes with the whole “i don’t want to go to ______”. we could be on our way to preschool, ballet, a friend’s house, the park, or a grandparen’ts house or the grocery store. the destination is irrelevant. this behaviour has been going on for a couple of years and i am now beginning to really put the pieces together; this is not just defiant behaviour, but i honestly think he is feeling anxious about leaving the safety and familiarity of our home. the outside world makes him feel nervous.

at the end of these visits or school times bear is usually happy, content and satisfied with participating. for example, when i pick him up from preschool or when he comes home from ballet, he is relaxed, and tells me he has had a wonderful time. this is where it gets tricky for us, as his parents, knowing when to force him to go and when to acknowledge his anxiety and let him stay home. currently, we make him attend unless he is sick. are we being too strict?

[playing hot and cold with mummo. we’re all laughing, because bear is looking right at the hidden item, but totally not seeing it. he loves this game! ]

when do i let it go and when do i push, without being a pushover? where is the line? It has been causing me a lot of anxiety too, which is pretty understandable as a mother who loves her kids and just wants to give them the space and freedom but also keep them safe. Friends have noticed my anxiety about this situation and have recommended me doing a few things to help calm myself when needed. Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises have all been told to me and applauded by those who use them, I think I will give them a go, just to see how I fair. But one method has stood out to me and has been said by a few people in and outside my inner circle – CBD. Sites like purerelief.com/cbd-products/ carry these types of products and I’m not adverse to potentially trying them, anything that can help ease my anxiety so I don’t pass them onto him and make him feel emotionally worse is important. My only concern with CBD is that I don’t know much about it at all, and I don’t know if it has any side effects or whether it’s addictive. I’ll be sure to learn more from articles like https://cannaunion.com/blog/is-cbd-addictive/ before I give it a go, but from what I’ve heard, it’s an amazing product. I know cannabis-based products have been rather popular lately, especially when it comes to their medicinal benefits. I have read about different strains, like ghost bubba, that can help with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. It’s nice to know that there are alternative remedies available to us when we need it.

making bread.

March 6, 2012 by mama lola

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” Robert Browning

a friend of mine gave me her used bread maker. i helped her pack a few boxes when she was moving. i was surprised and delighted as dear hubby and i have been considering buying one for a while.

anyhow, yesterday dear hubby made our first loaf of whole wheat bread in it. i want to be a family that eats homemade bread.

the bread tasted great, but i’m looking forward to making some gluten free loaves and various dark rye breads. for dinner, we devoured super-fancy-avocado-tomato-brie cheese-sandwiches with a side of sweet potato fries. what a delicious way to end the week!

YUM!

granola bars.

March 4, 2012 by mama lola

i’ve decided to make our own granola bars, again. the packaged ones are so full of additives and unnecessary junk my family does not need. i checked out a couple of recipes from here and here, but ultimately made my own version as i didn’t have the right ingredients or patience for some of the steps..

so, here we go… in a bowl in no particular order i chucked in

2 cups oats
1/2 cup unsweetened cocunut
3/4 cup dried cranberries
10 dried plums, cut up
2 large tblsp cashew butter
1 large tblsp butter
1/2 to 3/4 cups of honey
1/4 cup sesame seeds
sprinkling of salt

mix it up really well. after each ingredient or so i stirred and stirred as it’s so sticky.

obviously you can add or decrease whatever ingredient you want. i suggest tasting it as you go.

i found ours to be too sweet, that’s why i added the cashew butter (plus, dear hubby finished off the almonds i thought we still had, which i was planning of crunching up and putting in).

once all the ingredients were mixed in well together, i oiled an oven safe dish and pressed in the granola mixture. i pressed down hard to ensure that any air would be squeezed out and that the bars would hopefully have an even texture to them.

i was also hoping this would make them less crumbly. that was the problem with previous bars. i sectioned off the bars before putting them in the oven. i used a knife and spatula to really try and separate the sections.

i pre-heated the oven to 400F and placed the dish in for only 5 minutes. i wanted the ingredients to adhere to each other. then i set the dish to cool for several hours first on the counter and then in the fridge, in hopes the stickyness would really stick and make the bars more shapely and not crumbly.

final verdict: kids and dear hubby loved ’em! i think they could have used less honey and more crunch, like almonds. they were so easy to make, so it’ll become part of my kitchen repertoire for sure. especially, since there is so much room for creativity depending on the ingredients available and the seasons.

bear’s blood.

March 3, 2012 by mama lola

on friday morning, my mr. 4 year old bear had a vial of blood taken from his left arm. he sat on my lap, while one nurse held his arm down and the other gently jabbed a needle with a tube into his arm, that then attached to the vial. he was getting blood work done to find out what is causing his eczema.

little man didn’t even blink. he stared closely to what they were doing; didn’t say a word, didn’t cry or whine; sat still, while i tried not to explode with pride.

once the blood was taken and a bandage put on, he whimpered a bit as we walked back to the car. because bear was so well behaved, we headed to the massive toy store across the road and took our time looking for the perfect “treat”. he decided on some fancy play-doh equipment. the $20 was totally worth it.

[ “this is the one i want daddy!” ]

we also explored the lego section closely, but only admiring the boxes with pictures of shuttles, houses and helicopters. when we said it was time to go, bear excitedly gave the cashier his fancy playdoh box and off we headed to lunch.

it was so pleasant and fun, and his behaviour reminded me that he really is a quiet, calm kid. it is very unusual for him to meltdown in public, to scream and fuss and carry on. it is the shyness in him that keeps him still during blood work.

[ does this look like a face of someone who just had blood taken? ]

lion, our sweet little man should also get some recognition. although, during the blood work he only watched from the safety of his dad’s arms, he too was a delight to be with. at the toy store he chatted from the cart, pointing to various colourful toys and laughing with unbridled joy.

my boys have again, reminded me that they know how to behave in various situations. bear sets a wonderful example for his little brother, and lion follows closely. i feel so proud of my children and who they have become, and who they are growing to be. dear hubby says the kids are who they are because i am home with the all day every day, always teaching and guiding. it’s nice to hear his support, but who really knows why we are the way we are!

the boys played with the play-doh for about an hour before getting tired. then they played with it when the baby-sitter came!

happy saturday everyone!
see ya tomorrow!

imagine.

March 2, 2012 by mama lola

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

– john lennon

i was doing something mundane when i heard this song on the radio. i stopped, listened and sang along with a lump in my throat. have you ever REALLY listened to the lyrics, REALLY? these words are powerful. meaningful.
imagine if we took these words to heart, how different our world would be. oh, what a place that would be.
i wish i had more say in the world. the choices governments and politicians make on my behalf often frustrate me, rather than making me feel confident in them. it is as though, the people in power are only in it for themselves. this deeply saddens me.

sorry for the sad weekend send off…

[ this is what things look at our house, when dog sitting. ]

tomorrow’s post will be happier!
i will fill you in on the blood work bear had done today.

game on.

March 2, 2012 by mama lola

NaBloPoMo: I’m in!

Via the blogger world, I have taken on a blogging challenge. To write an entry daily, with a specific theme. The theme for March is Weather. It’s day one and it feels easy, but with thirty more entries to type out, I think I may need some encouragement, love and ideas!

Wish me luck. Keep reading! If any fellow bloggers out there are able to advise me on the best affiliate programs too then I would be extremely grateful! I’m also hoping to raise the income I generate from my blog and feel this is the best way to achieve this goal!

*******

So as I was reading the blogher site for “blogspiration” (blogging inspiration), I stumbled upon this challenge of writing an entry each day of the month. obviously, there was some serious thinking as to whether or not to take on this challenge. Blogging daily is a lot of work. But I figured, with the help and encouragement of services like hostiserver, I can totally do this.

first, you have to have something to write about. second, you have to edit photographs. well, not all bloggers have photos, but I like sharing our life with pictures of our shenanigans. sometimes it’s easier to tell a story with a picture. But, photo editing takes a long time and I don’t even do very much, but with all the different programs and websites that I use, it takes a long time. It’s the price to pay to get more instagram followers isn’t it?

But, here I am. GAME ON! I am up for a challenge, and it feels like my blog needs a little kick in the butt. My readership has actually not dropped, the way I feared when I stopped using facebook as a place to notify of new entries. I am starting to use instagram a lot more though. Having found a kicksta alternative, I’m sure I will have plenty of new followers in the coming months.My readership continues to expand. Slowly. Hopefully this daily blogging effort will inspire more comments. I am so curious to hear what you, YOU, my dear readers have to say in response to my rants or raves.

XOXO

natural medicine & eczema.

February 29, 2012 by mama lola

so my eldest kid has some bad eczema. and when i say bad, i mean BAD. now, I know a lot of people who also suffer from eczema, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard them say that it’s as bad as this. this makes me sad, as if someone else has it this bad, they could give us some advice to help manage it. but they can’t. even if it was this bad, some of them have said that they’d turn to things like cannabigerol to help control it. apparently, CBG is one of the cannabinoids tested as a potential treatment for these types of skin issues, which is great as it gives people hope. of course, it’s not available for everyone because cannabis products aren’t legal in every state yet. that being said, someone I know has been using a product like this cbd oil for eczema and has had some great results. but I don’t think it’s suitable for a child, so we have to find other ways to ease his suffering. he has one particular spot in the crease of his left elbow that is really itchy and patchy, and it’s been there for months. he also gets various flare ups all over his body; behind his knees, hips, back, now chest, face, and once he was even covered from head to toe! sometimes if the eczema gets really bad, the patches seeps and oozes liquid, it’s pretty freaky! that’s when bear wants to put a bandage on.

we’ve been seeing a naturopath, as our family doctor’s help basically ended after his allergy testing came back completely clear of anything. not even a hint of a sensitivity to anything. we’ve had use cortisone cream pretty intensely, as that really has been the only thing that will help.

the naturopath has him taking a probiotic and a spoon full of cod liver oil daily. I didn’t realise how important probiotics were for him until I spoke to his doctor. A lot of my friends take supplements with probiotics in (such as morning complete and similar products), but I didn’t know that children could benefit from it too. he also gets a castor oil belly massage nightly. this week we are off to get some blood work done, to identify what is causing this terrible reaction. it’s obviously food related and it didn’t show up on the previous allergy tests as bear does not have an anafelactic allergy to the trigger. it seems he has a low riding sensitivity to something and his immune system is desperately trying to rid his body of the “toxin”, and currently it’s happening via the skin.

fingers crossed we get some solid results. we are paying for these tests out of our pocket. but, i can’t put a price on the help he’s getting. and living life eczema free, cortisone free and allergy free is our goal. there are support groups out there for parents who’s kids have eczema and for people who have it; that’s how bad it can get!

we have some special out-of-town friends coming to play today! fun!

NaBloPoMo: I’m in!

recent posts

instagram