The difference 2 years makes... and a bit of trial and error

This picture was taken on Justus' first birthday and it makes me want to cry. The agony and pain this little boy endured for the first 2 years of his life is so sad. All those open, oozing sores were not just on his face, they were all over his body and all he did ALL. DAY. LONG was itch and scratch and scratch and itch. His nickname became "itchy scratchy".

Justus very rarely smiled or laughed that first year, he was miserable and there was nothing I could do to make it better. Our pediatrician refused to give us a referral to an allergist until he was 2 because things can change with such a young child but I just wanted relief for him IMMEDIATELY. We were stuck with the dermatologist who gave us steroid cream to lather on his body twice a day. I hated doing it and finally stopped because it just didn't work.

I knew it was something he was eating that was causing the problem so we were doing elimination diets to try and single out that one thing. It got a little bit better and then would get worse again. THEN. We moved and I made an appointment with our new doctor as soon as I could. They were appalled that our other doctor wouldn't issue a referral as, "This isn't just some simple problem that's going to go away". We met with the allergist a week later and found out that he is allergic to most everything(eggs, wheat, dairy, nuts, etc., etc.) but the ONE thing they recommended we give him was soy, he was a 10 out of 10 on the allergy chart for soy. Did you know that soy is in almost everything you buy that is premade? It's ridiculous.

So, during his second year of life we cut out everything on that allergy list and very, very slowly he started to get better. His sores cleared up a bit but he was still itching like crazy. Within 2 months though it seemed like his body was free of the toxins that were making him so sick(did I mention that he would vomit multiple times a day?). A year later he is free from scratching almost completely(there are still episodes but they are very rare now) and he hasn't had a "break out" of oozing sores in a long, long time.

We found that hemp milk was a great source of vitamins and fat and he went from being completely off the chart in weight to being at the 50th percentile at his 3 year well visit!

Here's a look at Justus' gorgeous face now. He is a happy, silly and confident little boy now who FEELS good. Praise God for health in Justus' body!

Birth siblings

Birth siblings are abundant around here in our house but we don't have contact with any of them but the girls' birth brothers.

When we got the call for the girls they asked if we could take their brothers too but we didn't have the room and so they bounced from foster home to foster home until they settled into a group home with some of the nicest foster parents out there. Over the 2 1/2 years of visits and drama we saw each other every week and usually sat and talked for a while and they were the ones who eventually ended up adopting the boys. We went to their adoption day and they came to ours for the girls.

That day, almost 5 years ago, was the last time we saw them because of distance and normal life. Sarah is always asking to get together with them now that we are a little closer but life is just busy! Finally, we are going to be getting together with them in 2 weekends.

Sarah remembers her older brothers(full biological) well as she spent the first 4 years of her life with them and, because of disabilities, took care of them(which is amazing considering that Sarah couldn't even talk when she came home). When she heard that we were going to get together her face LIT up. She was so excited to see them again. Alana doesn't remember them but, being her dramatic self, talks about them as if they are her best friends, hahaha.

Explaining birth siblings is a hard thing for me. I don't know what to call them, are they "family"? I tend to think not as family, to me, are those who are involved often in life together. But to say they aren't family sounds cruel to me too. Justus has many birth siblings but he, at 3, doesn't understand at all. To him, his siblings are the one's he lives with and fights with and loves every day. He has no frame of reference yet. Either does Malakai, although he is older. He knows he has birth siblings out there but doesn't really seem to understand what that means.

Sometimes, all this adoption stuff can be overwhelming and confusing. I haven't figured it out yet. Strange, I know;)

A confession

While I am sure you all think I just have everything together and my children are just perfect, that isn't quite reality.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

I have a confession to make.

Please don't laugh at me.

Please don't judge me.

And don't hate me either.

My almost 8 year old son and 6 1/2 year old son don't know how to tie their shoes.

There, I said it.

Jonah's parents periodically laugh about the fact that Jonah refused to learn how to tie his shoes until he was 5 because he loved wearing his rain boots everywhere.

Uhm, my son's got almost 3 years on that.

Is this something we will tease Isaiah and Kai about when they are older? Probably.

While I have chosen to buy Isaiah slip on shoes for the past year, Malakai has had some hand-me down Converse that must be tied, which means I am the one tying them while we are rushing out the door(yes, we are usually rushing, but never late). No matter how much I tried, which wasn't a lot, they just couldn't get tying their shoes.

Not any more. Last week I sat down for an hour with both boys while the baby and Justus were sleeping and the other kids were outside playing and told them they weren't allowed to leave until they learned how to tie their shoes.

It helped that I had bought them new(cheap) shoes with laces to learn on too. They were so excited about their new shoes(which are rare here) that they sat there working on it until they got it(and have continued to beg to practice tying their new shoes every day since).

I am proud of my boys for trying until they got it and a little ashamed of myself for allowing them to go so long without learning(especially Isaiah).

Some things in a large family have to go by the wayside sometimes. Tying shoes was(read:is) one of them for me.

The end.

Babywearing saves the day

Disclaimer: I am in no way judging anyone who chooses not to babywear. Different strokes for different folks and that is fine. I just want to share my experience in hopes that someone who doesn't know about babywearing will possibly give it a try.

It's not secret that I love baby wearing and all of it's benefits. Baby wearing has saved me in so many ways and so many times and I truly don't understand why someone would choose NOT to wear their baby(anyone have an idea?). Those stupid car seats are SO heavy and cumbersome and you definitely cannot carry the car seat, hold on to a 3 year olds hand and have the other kids safely crossing a street or a parking lot. I won't even mention that car seats tend to not allow a baby to breath properly and should only be used in a car(hence the name car seat;))

When Malakai was born, Alana was 13 months old and not walking, Sarah was 5. I remember a very specific incident where I had to go to the store and was almost crying by the time I got to the front doors. I had to lug the car seat in one arm with Sarah holding on to it and hold all 30 lbs. of Alana in the other arm. It was ridiculous and I was about ready to drop both the babies by the time I got there. I wish I would have known how easy it was to wear one or both of the babies.

This weekend I have had a very sick 3 year old and 7 month old. They both were beside themselves with agony and wanted to be held almost constantly. Of course, I have 5 other kids to take care of and, while Sarah, Isaiah and Alana can do most things, there were still things I needed to take care of. Baby wearing to the rescue! I was able to put Justus on my back and the baby on my belly and go about my work. Justus didn't want to be held for so long(the baby won't let me put him down) but when he needed it, I was able to give him a little cuddle time until he felt like laying down to sleep again.




The baby has been very whiny and clingy and pitiful and has not let me put him down for 2 days now. I am able to wear him on my belly or back where he is comfy and safe and happy and I can do what needs to be done. As a mom of many, baby wearing has been a lifesaver for me! And it's so much fun too! As I type this Canaan is sleeping peacefully in a wrap on my belly.

The one thing I would say is, if a carrier is sold in a big chain store(like BRU, target, etc) it is usually not a good carrier. The exception to that is the Moby which is fantastic for newborns up to about 13 lbs.

If you are interested in baby wearing you can visit The Babywearer. It's a great website full of information and a forum to ask questions too. Of course, you can always ask me as well and I would be more than happy to point you in the right direction with carriers.

The pictures in the post were not taken while the kids were sick, just so you know.

My husband

Have you all heard the love story of how I met, courted and fell in love with my husband? It's a really fun one but I'm not sure if I have posted about it or not. That's not what this post is about though.

Moving on.

I was just thinking this morning, as I got out of my empty bed(well, besides a 7 month old who kept me up all night) how very much I adore my husband. My bed is empty 3 nights every week because of Jonah's job, which makes it that much better when I roll over in the morning and he IS there. Such sweet happiness.

Jonah and I are coming up on 9 years of marriage, which seems utterly impossible to me, although Jonah says we've been through so much stuff how can it NOT seem like a long time. :) I suppose he's right.

Ready for some unabashed husband praise?

Jonah is THE hardest working man I have ever met. Seriously, nothing stops him. He can be sicker than a dog or be in pain from an injury but if there's something that HAS to be done he will get up and do it.

My man very rarely sits on the couch watching T.V. unless we are watching a movie together after the kids have gone to bed. I LOVE that I have a husband who isn't obsessed with watching sports, so much of our time together would be lost that way.

Jonah very rarely "goes out" with his buddies because he just loves to be at home with us and feels that our time is limited enough all ready.

He adores me and I adore him and he treats me like a princess.

Jonah is my best friend and I know that I can share anything with him without him judging me.

Simply put, Jonah is the best husband I could have ever asked for. He checked off every single thing on my "list" (yes, I had a list).I am so glad that I chose to wait for God's timing and the perfect man for me.

Cannibals

Our dinner conversation last night was about cannibals. The kids wanted to know where cannibals lived and they said they would never go to where they live. So, I asked a question, "What if God called you to go and minister to a cannibalistic tribe? What would you do?"

Without fail, each of the children said they would go and follow God.

Then it got funny.

Malakai(6): I would go and tell them, HEY, don't you know we are all people? Why would you eat me when I'm a people too!?"

Isaiah(7): Yeah! It's really mean of you to eat humans, I wouldn't do that to you!

Judah(4): Please don't eat my bwain and my eyes and my thigh and my feet. I won't eat yours.

Alana(7): Why would you do such a disgusting thing to another human being? We are all created in God's image you know.

Justus(3): I am a human just like you... and I like chicken.

And then they all fall to the floor with laughter.

I'm telling you, having this many kids is the best. You are never short for a laugh, that's for sure!

Random thoughts

1) Thank you MLK Jr. for paving the way for me to be able to have the family I have.

2) If my 11 year old is already falling apart with crazy emotions for no real reason, what's it going to be like when she's 15?

3) What do I do or say when my 11 year old falls apart crying when she thinks her brother looked at her cross eyed?

4) I don't think I was ever this emotional as a pre-pubencent, was I Mom?

5) I am so thankful that nursing is still going strong after 7 months.

6) Why does it seem that no matter how much I clean and clean the house never seems clean as long as there are children in the house?

7) Maybe I should just give up on the cleaning thing? But then I think I may have an issue with my super clean liking husband.

8) I'll stick with trying to keep the house clean, even if I have to sweep the hard wood floors every 20 minutes to convince myself it is so.

9) Today is such a gorgeous day!

10) I am thankful to be alive and living the life God has given me.

11) I think 10 random thoughts are enough for you today. Sorry there was no more substance to my blog post today.

Spicy!

One thing, among many, that I absolutely love about my kids is that every single one of them LOVES spicy stuff. They cannot have macaroni and cheese(homemade, of course) without 3 or 4 shakes of Tabasco. Sriracha? A necessity for most of our favorite dishes. This stuff is spicy and look how much Malakai put on his! He ate every last bite too, just like always.




My kids are the best. Just sayin'.

A silly conversation

Last night for dinner I did something that I NEVER do. I let each child choose what they wanted for dinner. It actually ended up being really, really easy because of what they chose.

Anyways.

Malakai chose a quesadilla and was standing around waiting for it to be finished. I let him use the spatula to push down the tortilla as it was cooking. This was the following conversation.

Kai: "Mommy, when I push it down I feel just like a cooker would!"

Me: "Mmm hmm"

Kai: "Well, I'm not a cooker cause cookers are big and work in really nice kitchens."

Me: "And they're called chefs."

Pause with a thinking look on his face as he stares at his quesadilla cooking.

Kai: "And cookers can use sharp knives and stuff."

Pause

Kai: "I can't use knives."

Pause

"I'm a little cooker boy though cause I have THIS!" As he holds up the spatula in jubilation.


This boy has loved to cook from the time that he has been able to walk. He doesn't, however, seem to remember that the correct term for a professional "cooker" is chef no matter how many time I have told him.

A secret? I sometimes don't even correct him because I think it's so cute and I know that eventually he'll get it right and I'll never hear him refer to a chef as a "cooker" again.

Planning for a garden

I am so excited! This past weekend Jonah and I staked out our garden area and very soon Jonah will begin working on the fence for it. We decided to include our chicken coop in to one side of the fence so that the chickens can roam in the garden in the off season. Our priority is to get the garden fence done before the coop but it's exciting to think about it all.

I know, I'm strange.

We also are narrowing down our choices of dogs. We think we have settled on a breed but we haven't made a concrete decision quite yet. Soon it'll be time to find a breeder, a puppy and, hardest of all, choose a name;)

So, now it's time to start thinking about the garden. What are we going to grow? How much are we going to grow of each? How are we going to situate it in the garden?

Anyone have a good site to help with planning a garden? How about places to buy heirloom, non-GMO, open pollinated seeds?

I am not known for my green thumb so any sites you can steer me toward would be great!

Homemade baby food

Making your own baby food is SO easy, cheap and quick. Honestly, it is. If you spend a little time every other week making baby food you will save money and have fresh, wholesome food to feed your little one.

We usually start feeding solids around 6 months old. For some of our kids that was a little earlier but we always have them eating "some" solid food when they are 6 months old.

Here's how I do it. I always start with avocado, egg yoke(not the white) and banana as babies first food. We don't do grains until after one year so we go straight for the good stuff;). Banana's, egg yokes and avocados are full of fantastic stuff for babies bodies and brains. Not to mention they are so delicious!

I load my blender up with avocado's(or banana's etc.), pour in a little raw cream, buttermilk or melted butter and blend away until it is completely smooth. Then, I take a tablespoon and spoon them in to ice cube trays and pop them in the freezer to freeze for about 3 hours(or until they are frozen).

When they are "done" I pop them out and fill up a ziploc bag with them, write the date on the bag and throw it in the freezer on the "baby food" shelf. SO EASY! Really, with something like this you are taking about 10 minutes to do the whole thing and, depending on how much you make, you are done with avocados for a while. I always overdo it so I don't have to do it for a long time.

Yesterday I made a concoction that was SO yummy! I blended up a cantaloupe, 3 papaya's and a container of organic cottage cheese. It was so yummy but Canaan didn't like it! Silly baby!

He is also eating(all organic) squash, carrots, raw mango, homemade apple sauce(from my in-laws apples), ground beef, sweet potatoes, cooked pears and broccoli(which he also doesn't like). If you want to check out a great article on the best foods to feed baby and when, check out this article here.

And, what to do when you go out? Grab a container, throw a few cubes of food into it and go. By the time you need to feed baby, it will be ready to go. SO easy! You're saving yourself a fortune and giving baby the best you can too.

Question?

Do/did you make your own baby food? Or do/did you buy it? How do/did you do it and why do/did you do it this way?

Tomorrow I'll be blogging about how we do baby food but I'm curious to know what my blog stalkers have done.

Twerps

This little boy here... is a twerp.




Do you want to know how I know he's a twerp?

You see, I had a brother 22 months younger than me and 2 cousins around that age to. Boy cousins. I wasn't blessed to live close to girl cousins my own age. Just boys.

And they were twerps.

Big time twerps.

Twerps that loved to sneak things out of my room or burp in my face(or worse).

Good thing I have a history learning to deal with twerps, cause I was blessed by one big 6 year old twerp of my own.

And I love it. He makes life so much fun.


He looks so distinguished and pondering here, doesn't he? I wonder what he was thinking? "Wow, look at that great stick over there. Maybe I should go take it from my big sister? Yeah, that's what I'll do."

Life with boys is so much fun.

New Year, new focus

2010 is gonna be pretty hard to beat in regards to BIG things happening for us. I mean, we moved in to our house and onto our land where(I am hoping) I will die. That was a really big thing. Then we were beyond blessed by a new addition to the family. That was definitely the biggest of all. 2010 was a good year, I think the best year I have ever had, seriously. That's a pretty big statement, I know, but 2011 is gonna really have to be amazing to pass up 2010. ;)

Our focus for this year(with external things) is to build and plant a garden, finish the fencing around the top 5 acres, get a dog, run irrigation to the orchard site, plan/plant orchard and build a chicken coop. Lots of things but all pressing toward our goal for our little family hobby farm.

As far as my personal goals go, there are many. I want to hug my kids more, speak words of life to them constantly and love my husband better. I want to be a better wife and mother. Don't we all? The one thing, however, that I am really going to be pressing towards this year is delighting myself in the Lord. I want to learn and study just what it means to delight in the Lord in EVERY area of my life.

Happy 2011. I am looking forward to what this year holds! I plan to try and blog every weekday but don't hold me to that;) If you want to you can suggest writing topics to me to make it easier! Just check out the box on the right of the screen(scroll down a little) and add your suggestion there.