OH MY!

I just got back from my ND appointment, going over the results of my allergy test. AHHH!!!! I had no idea. I figured I was allergic to dairy, and that was it. Ummm... NO! Here's the list of what I will now be eliminating from my diet:

Dairy (this was an extreme reaction, off the charts) - this includes goat's milk too
Eggs
Gliadin
Gluten
Rye
Wheat (I think I'm going to cry over this one :( )
Pineapple (WHAT!!!!)
Flaxseed
Spelt
Triticale
Paprika

Honorable mentions: (these are listed under insignificant, so no worries)
Beef
Malt
Almond
Sesame
Tomato
Red Pepper
Alfalfa
Psyllium Seed
Brown Rice

So now my question... WHAT WILL I EAT??!!!!

Rainy Day

Today has been a bit of a lazy day. I'm allowed one of those once in a while, right? Don't worry, I'm still getting my house cleaned, dishes washes, and laundry done, but I just feel lazy :)

Bria doesn't feel like napping this afternoon, which is a bit frustrating. She thinks it's funny to do the things I tell her not to do. Teaching and training can be a loooong job. She is determined to constantly play with the stereo and the CD cases. No matter how many times I correct her, she just smiles and goes right back to it!

Anyway, her little squeaky shoes are finally fitting and she loves them! She's not much of a walker, but she likes to stomp her feet to make them squeak.My neighbor lady dropped off some beautiful flowers from her garden today. That was so sweet of her! So now my table looks so nice, and ready for dinner. Any ideas of what to cook? That's the one thing I haven't thought of yet today.Anyway, that's my rambling for today. Hope you're having a great day!

PS... if anyone (local) is looking for a ring sling, send me an email at keithandstacey [at] gmail.com I'll see what I can do for you :)

Friesen Gathering 2008

Well, I promised to post about this last week, and I totally forgot! With all the birthday stuff, and just life in general, it's easy to misplace my thoughts these days!

You might remember my post about our Thiessen family weekend at Grand Beach. Well, that Sunday we drove another 2 hours to spend the day with the Friesens! Keith's grandparents were celebrating their 50th anniversary, and we all got together as a family to remember the good old days.

We started the day with our own little service. We sang a few songs, and had some Freiwilligis (I have no idea how to spell that! It's kind of like having an open mic at a wedding. Anyone can share whatever is on their heart. Music, scripture, whatever.) Keith's cousin Justin wrote a really great song about Grandma & Grandpa. I sang with Keith's sisters, Pat and Roger shared a poem sent from some relatives in BC.Then, at the end of our little service, Grandma & Grandpa, and their 4 children all sang together. Roger played accordion and Keith's Dad played guitar. It was really special to see them all together like that. Apparently they used to always do this in days gone by.

Oh, if you notice Roger wearing a silly hat with a feather, you can thank Rowan :) He remembered the accordion playing man at the German restaurant we went to. He figured that anyone playing accordion needed a hat with a feather.

Of course, true to Friesen tradition, we had TONS of food. In fact, we might have been able to all stay another day and have enough food! It was delicious.

In the afternoon we took family pictures. Like individual families, larger group pictures, cousin pictures, sibling pictures, you name it, we did it! Thanks to Pat's friend, Andrea, for taking the pictures. We don't have any yet, but I stole some from Pat's blog to share with you :) These are from her camera, not Andrea's.Family is so special, and I'm very happy to have such great in-laws! I seriously cannot sympathize with those who complain about their in-laws. Mine are awesome. Really awesome.

I'm flying

Today I just have to say that Fly Lady is awesome. I woke up grumpy, tired, and not looking forward to the day. I pushed myself to actually read through one of my Fly Lady emails today, and get going. I actually listened to the Fly Lady online, while I did my Weekly Home Blessing Hour. You wouldn't believe how much I got cleaned in my house in that one hour, while working up a sweat and feeling good about it!

If you haven't already checked out Fly Lady, TODAY is a great day to start!!! The more I do with Fly Lady, the more I like it. I consider myself an extremely unmotivated, and somewhat lazy person. If Fly Lady can get me off my bottom then I'm positive it will work for you!

After Rowan's birthday party yesterday, I had some things that needed to be cleaned up, and I'm all done! It feels so good.

Speaking of his birthday... here's a bit of a video, OK, a loooong video, of him opening his guitar. I wanted to shorten it, but I couldn't figure out how.

He had a great day. He was so excited to see everyone in the evening, and he's loving his new soccer balls, football, kite, and especially his guitar :) Warren and Liane even bought him 8 pics so he can always find at least one. Those things get lost so easily!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Oh, and for a great new contest, check out my contest page.

He's 3, he's 3!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!!!

Today Rowan Seth is 3. I can't believe my little baby is now growing into my big handsome boy!!

Rowan has learned so much in this past year. He speaks very clearly (with a little bit of a lisp) and remembers so many things that we never thought he would. He loves to talk to people, and always wants to talk to whomever I am talking to on the phone.

He is quite tall for his age, at about 40 inches. People are always asking me if he is 4.

He is quite the little musician too. He drums on every surface, using whatever he can find that even somewhat resembles a drum stick. (pens, straws, sticks, etc) He also loves guitars. Shhh... don't tell him, but that's what we got him for his birthday :) He sings reaaaallllly loudly too. Some days it sounds like a song, other days it's just yelling, but he just loves it!

We hope today will be a special day for our big guy, and I'll be back with birthday photos later :) For now, enjoy a glimpse into the life of Rowan.

Past a year?

When I was pregnant with Bria, I told myself that I would give breastfeeding another try. Things didn't go so smooth with Rowan. He was very squirmy and aggressive. I never enjoyed that time, and we were mutually finished with breastfeeding by 10 months. I'm surprised I made it that far.

Even though I was going to give it a shot, I was not very hopeful, and I figured I would end up using formula. But, taking it one day at a time, and making it through the first few weeks, I'm very happy to say that I'm still breastfeeding Bria. She will be 1 on the 3oth :)

So, we are very comfortable with the way things are right now (Bria and I). I nurse her usually 4 times a day, with a bottle of whole milk here and there. Right now I really have no intention of trying to wean her. I'm just wondering what other people think. I know I used to think that 6 months was great, and then maybe til a year.

I found this article, and thought it was very interesting. Let me know what you think.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR JUST A FEW DAYS,
he will have received your colostrum, or early milk. By
providing antibodies and the food his brand-new body
expects, nursing gives your baby his first - and
easiest - "immunization" and helps get his digestive
system going smoothly. Breastfeeding is how your baby
expects to start, and helps your own body recover from
the birth. Why not use your time in the hospital to
prepare your baby for life through the gift of nursing?

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS,
you will have eased him through the most critical part of his
infancy. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more
likely to get sick or be hospitalized, and have many
more digestive problems than breastfed babies. After 4
to 6 weeks, you'll probably have worked through any
early nursing concerns, too. Make a serious goal of
nursing for a month, call La Leche League or a
Lactation Consultant if you have any questions, and
you'll be in a better position to decide whether
continued breastfeeding is for you.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 3 OR 4 MONTHS,
her digestive system will have matured a great deal, and she will be
much better able to tolerate the foreign substances in
commercial formulas. If there is a family history of
allergies, though, you will greatly reduce her risk by
waiting a few more months before adding anything at all
to her diet of breastmilk. And giving nothing but your
milk for the first four months gives strong protection
against ear infections for a whole year.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 6 MONTHS,
she will be much less likely to suffer an allergic reaction to formula
or other foods. At this point, her body is probably
ready to tackle some other foods, whether or not you
wean. Nursing for at least 6 months helps ensure better
health throughout your baby's first year of life, and
reduces your own risk of breast cancer. Nursing for 6
months or more may greatly reduce your little one's
risk of ear infections and childhood cancers. And
exclusive, frequent breastfeeding during the first 6
months, if your periods have not returned, provides 98%
effective contraception.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 9 MONTHS,
you will have seen him through the fastest and most important brain and
body development of his life on the food that was
designed for him - your milk. You may even notice that
he is more alert and more active than babies who did
not have the benefit of their mother's milk. Weaning
may be fairly easy at this age... but then, so is
nursing! If you want to avoid weaning this early, be
sure you've been available to nurse for comfort as well
as just for food.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR A YEAR,
you can avoid the expense and bother of formula. Her one-year-old body
can probably handle most of the table foods your family
enjoys. Many of the health benefits this year of
nursing has given your child will last her whole life.
She will have a stronger immune system, for instance,
and will be much less likely to need orthodontia or
speech therapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends nursing for at least a year, to help ensure
normal nutrition and health for your baby.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 18 MONTHS,
you will have continued to provide your baby's normal nutrition and
protection against illness at a time when illness is
common in other babies. Your baby is probably well
started on table foods, too. He has had time to form a
solid bond with you - a healthy starting point for his
growing independence. And he is old enough that you and
he can work together on the weaning process, at a pace
that he can handle. A former U.S. Surgeon General said,
"it is the lucky baby... that nurses to age two."

IF YOUR CHILD WEANS WHEN SHE IS READY,
you can feel confident that you have met your baby's physical and
emotional needs in a very normal, healthy way. In
cultures where there is no pressure to wean, children
tend to nurse for at least two years. The World Health
Organization and UNICEF strongly encourage
breastfeeding through toddlerhood: "Breastmilk is an
important source of energy and protein, and helps to
protect against disease during the child's second year
of life."* Our biology seems geared to a weaning age of
between 2 1/2 and 7 years**, and it just makes sense to
build our children's bones from the milk that was
designed to build them. Your milk provides antibodies
and other protective substances as long as you continue
nursing, and families of nursing toddlers often find
that their medical bills are lower than their
neighbors' for years to come. Mothers who have nursed
longterm have a still lower risk of developing breast
cancer. Children who were nursed longterm tend to be
very secure, and are less likely to suck their thumbs
or carry a blanket. Nursing can help ease both of you
through the tears, tantrums, and tumbles that come with
early childhood, and helps ensure that any illnesses
are milder and easier to deal with. It's an all-purpose
mothering tool you won't want to be without! Don't
worry that your child will nurse forever. All children
stop eventually, no matter what you do, and there are
more nursing toddlers around than you might guess.

WHETHER YOU NURSE FOR A DAY OR FOR SEVERAL YEARS,
the decision to nurse your child is one you need never
regret. And whenever weaning takes place, remember that
it is a big step for both of you. If you choose to wean
before your child is ready, be sure to do it gradually,
and with love.

*Facts for Life: A Communication Challenge, published
by UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO, 1989
**K Dettwyler. A Time to Wean. Breastfeeding Abstracts
vol 14 no 1 1994

Last Weekend

This past weekend my family spent Friday to Sunday at a bed & breakfast close to Grand Beach. The plan was to just go and relax. All my siblings, their kids, and my parents were there. It was really great to just kick back and not do anything!

This bed & breakfast is a great place to stay with family. There are 4 guest bedrooms, with a huge family room, an awesome screened veranda, a hot tub on the second floor deck, and an awesome couple to make us yummy breakfast :)

Friday night we tried out the hot tub. It was great, except that you had to keep your entire body in the water, and then constantly wipe the mosquitoes off of your face. I'm glad we couldn't see how many were floating around when we left! The kids went to bed with a little bit of crying, but over all they did really well.

Saturday was EXTREMELY windy! The trees right outside the house were swaying back and forth about 10 feet or so. We headed out to the beach just to see what it was like, and it was INSANE!! You have to remember that this is just a big lake, not the ocean. There are not normally waves crashing onto the shore. You'll have to check out the video to see how bad it was.

Saturday evening we were going to make pizza for supper, and had asked the owners of the b&b if they would join us. We had permission to use the kitchen all weekend. So, we got everything ready, and just as we were going to put the pizzas in the oven, the power went out! With a little bit of creative thinking, we decided to barbecue the pizzas. They turned out super yummy, though we had to wait a long time, and the meal was very drawn out!

I think the power was out for around 4 hours. Crazy stuff. We enjoyed a great time of singing together that evening. Rowan played his little pretend guitar with the boys (Warren & Dustin). We must have sung for quite a while, because my voice was getting a little hoarse by the end. Good times :)

Sunday morning things were a lot more calm, and the sun was shining. Keith, Rowan, Bria, and I headed to visit Keith's family for the day. I'll blog about that tomorrow :) For now, enjoy a little video recap of our time.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Birthday Update...

We had a big surprise party for Dad this evening. My mom was waiting for him after work with a Harley to ride around town :) My dad hasn't ridden a motorcycle in YEARS! I think he enjoyed it.

My Uncle Bob and Uncle Harv showed up from BC and Ontario, which was a HUGE surprise, and so special. All of my Dad's sibling in one place at the same time is quite rare. What a great gift :)

Here's the whole clan together.
I also got some cute pics of my sibling and their families, as well as my Mom. Enjoy :)

I can't believe he's 50!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!! I can't believe you're 50. You're too young to be 50! Glad you're happy and healthy, and I'm also glad that you are my dad :) Have a wonderful day, and party hard!

Wordless Wednesday: My little 'gardener'