Prayers for the Schuhmacher Family

I want you to meet Meri, probably one of the sweetest, kindest, most giving souls I have ever been blessed to meet. I count her as one of my best friends, even though I have only met her once.

You see, she lives in my computer, and we met because our children have type 1 diabetes. My child. Her children. Yes, I said, children. Three out of four of her boys have t1.

She is a mentor to me because her first was diagnosed as a baby; only 8 months old. During the next 13 years, she would be handed not only two more t1 diagnoses, but a melanoma diagnosis for her husband, Ryan, three years ago. He underwent surgery and chemo. They thought they had beat it.

Three years later, cancer has again reared it's ugly head... this time Ryan has 6 tumors in his brain, and multiple tumors in his lungs and abdomen.

My heart aches so bad for this family, and I spent a good part of yesterday crying when I heard the news (those of you who know me know that crying isn't really my thing). I love Meri as the sister I never had. She is simply an amazing woman who is married to an amazing man. I liked Ryan from the moment I met him. These two have been together for 19 years, and they truly make each other whole.

Will you please join me in praying for this sweet family? March 4th has been set aside as a day of fasting and prayer for the Schuhmacher family. You can read Meri's story here. And for updates, join the facebook page that has been set up for the family.

Please tell all you know to lift this family up. Let's let heaven hear our voices loud and clear.

Only the b(r)est for my baby

When a child is born, we only want the best for them... best hospital, best doctor, best baby toys and all the other accouterments that babies need.

As they get older, our infatuation for the best continues; the best food, the best friends, the best school, the best teachers, the best college, the best spouse, the best life.

I think our fanatical desire for the best is natural. We love these little creatures to bits and would do anything for them. What puzzles me is why breast-feeding is considered best, but only up to a certain point.

When I went to the doctor a few months ago, she wanted to prescribe a certain medication. When I asked if it was okay to take if I was breast-feeding, the doc furrowed her brow and we had the following conversation:

She: how old is your son?

Me: 14 months (which he was at the time).

She: And you're still nursing him? Any particular reason?

Me: Because it's good for him and for now I don't see a reason to stop.

She: Well, if you want to take this medication, you'll have to stop. Maybe now is a good time to tell your son no more.

In the end, I opted NOT to take the medication, and the whole exchange still strikes me as bizarre (from a doctor, no less). I often get the same reaction from other people when the topic comes up:

You're STILL breastfeeding him? WHY?

Why not?

And why not, indeed? Over and over it has been proven that breast milk is THE best thing for a baby. It protects against infections and contains all the nutrients that babies need to thrive. Neither of my kids have ever had an ear infection, and seem to avoid a lot of the illnesses that are floating around.

For Moms, breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and also provides a great way for mothers to bond with their babies.

So why is it so weird that I support extended nursing? I nursed Elise until she was 2 1/2. Even though at 12 months, when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was told to stop nursing her. I didn't, and never noticed an adverse affect on her blood sugar.

I plan on nursing Mattias for a few more months. When there are only pluses and no negatives, why shouldn't I?

I get it... breast-feeding is not easy sometimes. I remember that in the beginning, every time Elise would latch on it would hurt so much I felt like throwing up. With Mattias, he staged a nursing strike at 4 months. I had to pump and syringe feed him at times because he refused to take a bottle. We were going through a bunch of other things during that time and it. was. HELL. I don't think I've ever been so stressed out in my life.

But I still knew it was best, so I stuck with it. And I think we proved who the most stubborn one of all is, right?

I love this part of being a Mom. I love the bonding that comes from those quiet moments where both of us are still. I enjoy looking at his sweet face; losing myself in his beautiful blue eyes, stroking his soft, silky hair and just reveling in that wonderful baby smell that still surrounds him.

This passage of time is so fleeting that I am in no rush to get through it.

Getting bigger (and cuter) every day.

Bringing the Buzz... Kroger Comforts for Baby wipes!

Over the next couple of posts, I am going to be writing some reviews of products that I got to try by being a Bzzagent. To read more about Bzzagent, click here. These are my own opinions, I did not have to say anything nice about them if I didn't want to.

They're aren't too many things in this life that I'm picky about (okay, you can stop laughing now please), but one thing I tend to be choosy about is what I use to clean my baby's bum.

I stay away unnecessary scents or other harmful additives that are harsh on skin. I'm hoping Mattias hasn't inherited any of the skin issues that go along with being a redhead, and I'll do my best not to contribute to the problem.

I was very pleased with Kroger Comforts for Baby wipes. The were thick and soft; almost cloth-like, and had just the right amount of moisture. And I like that they don't have alcohol or any other chemicals in them.

In fact, I like them better than Pampers; which have way too much moisture in them and aren't as thick. The Kroger wipes are comparable to the Huggies brand, except in price.

When I buy wipes, I look for a price point of .015 or less per wipe, and the big box of Kroger Comforts brand usually sell for that without a coupon. If you're a Kroger Plus member, you can usually load coupons for the Comforts brand into your shopping card on the Kroger website.

I also like to buy their smaller packs to throw in the diaper bag... at about $1.25 for a pack of 72, it's much cheaper than either Pampers or Huggies.

I give the Kroger Comforts for Baby wipes 5 out of 5 dirty tushies!

She's going to Bollywood

My older brother (whom Elise has dubbed "Uncle Turkey") goes to India quite a bit. He's a musician, and he studies there. When we were in Vancouver in 2010, he had just returned and bought with him some of the cutest outfits for Elise. Unfortunately, they were a bit too big for her at the time, but fit quite nicely now.

Here's Elise striking some poses in what she calls her "Chinese Indian Princess Outfit". I'm scratching my head over the Chinese part...

When she was on the phone with my Mom (while wearing this outfit), she told her, "I wish you could see me, I look fabulous!"

She does, doesn't she?

She may not have my eyes...

The other day we were doing our usual mad-dash to get ready for school. I was busy with Mattias, and when I told Elise we had to leave in 5 minutes, she walked into the kitchen and announced that she had gone to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and put her shoes and jacket on. All by herself and without being asked.

I told her that she did a great job, and I couldn't believe how big she was getting.

Then I said, "Where did my baby girl go?"

With a glint in her eye and a sly smile on her face she replied, "she died?"

Looks like someone inherited my twisted, dark sense of humour.

I couldn't be more proud.

Bringing the Bzz... Kroger Comforts for Baby

Over the next couple of posts, I am going to be writing some reviews of products that I got to try by being a Bzzagent. To read more about Bzzagent, click here. These are my own opinions, I did not have to say anything nice about them if I didn't want to.

Long ago, in a lifetime far, far away... I used to have spare time. And in that spare time I did things like product reviews, mainly for a website called Bzzagent. I loved it... Sharing my opinion and getting free stuff? Winning!

But then life happened, and things like being a Bzzagent went on the back burner. I wanted to contribute, but just didn't have the time to do a decent job at it. So I stopped. I was sad.

Then, the other day, I received an email from them asking if I wanted to try out the Kroger Comfort brand of baby products.

Ha! Finally, something right up my alley! Baby products have invaded a large portion of my life, and I was going to be able to try the Kroger Comfort diapers, wipes and sippy cups, as well as receive a bunch of coupons that I could use towards other Kroger Comforts products.

For today, I will be writing about the Kroger Comforts for Baby diapers.

Let me start by saying that I am very leery of store brand products, especially when it comes to diapers. For most of us, cheaper usually means lesser quality. Because let's face it, changing a diaper is not the most fun thing in the world, and changing a diaper that has leaked (whether it be # 1 or 2) does nothing to endear us to the task.

But I was pleasantly surprised with the Kroger Comforts for Baby diapers... they don't feel all that different from the Pampers brand (maybe a wee bit thinner and a bit stiffer), and have a very cute design of bees on them. You know, if you care about that stuff.

Their shape was a little more square than any of the leading brands, but it didn't have any effect on containing any of the liquids or solids that my son emitted.

In fact, we had no leakage, or any other issues at all, and with the price of these diapers running around $14 for a box of 96 (size 3), that is an awesome deal. That makes each diaper .145 cents.

I only buy diapers when I can get them for .16 or under per diaper, and I usually have to get a great deal and use coupons the get that. If you have a Kroger card, you can electronically add coupons to it, and more often than not, they have $1 off coupons for the Kroger brand diapers on their site.

My rating? I'd give these diapers 4 out of 5 poops. They lose one poop because I haven't yet tried the overnight test yet... I'm working up my nerves, it's just that changing crib sheets makes me violent.

My son, the kleptomaniac

What do you do with a 16 month old who has sticky fingers?

It all started with my wallet. Mattias likes to go through my purse until he finds my wallet, then the little pickpocket runs off where I can't see him and pilfers through it. He's more attracted to plastic than cash and to this day I'm still looking for my medical insurance card and my Costco card. At least he left the Amex alone.

Then we had the "bear incident". When I take Elise to school, I schlep Mattias with me. As I sign Elise in and talk to her teacher about any specific instructions related to diabetes, I have to put Mattias down. The first few weeks of school, he would run into Elise's classroom, rummage through a pile of stuffed animals, and always emerge with the same old, white bear.

He would walk through the hallway of the school hugging and patting the bear, and retrieving it from him resulted in much wailing and gnashing of teeth. So Elise's sweet teacher graciously "gave" Beary (as he has been dubbed) to Mattias. To this day, he snuggles it as he falls asleep.

Mattias's latest "five-finger discount" was at a local grocery store. I was there with my Mom who was wrangling the tiny thief as I was buying some bulk steel cut oats. My mom turned around for a second, and when she looked back, Mattias was high-tailing it away with a fig newton that he had looted from the bulk section in hand.

I'm thinking I might need to keep a lawyer on retainer for this one... I keep telling him that his cuteness will only keep him out of trouble for so long.

Elise-isms

Me: Elise, can you get me the Cheerios?

Elise: Sure Mom... are they in the pancreas?

Me (trying not to laugh): Actually, it's called the pantry

-I'm going to use my espada (sword in Portuguese) to scare off creditors (she meant predators).

-I'm a pirate... Ahoy ladies!

-I hurt my finger toe! (a finger toe is sort of the translation of toe in Portuguese)

The other day we were at the pedi for Mattias's 15 month well-child. Elise brought her baby doll with her and when the nurse asked her how old her baby was, Elise replied, "1 year... 3 months younger than Mattias."
Later, when I asked her how she knew the baby was 3 months younger than her brother, she said, "I just knew... my brain is pretty smart.

Elise's prayer from the other night:
Dear God, thank you for Momma, Papa, Elise (that's me), Mattias and Seven. What do you look like God? Are you an angel? Do you have a beard? Do you have short hair? Oh well, I guess I'll find out when I die. Amen.

How do you not burst out laughing at that???

-I like your new glasses Momma, you look fierce!

All I can say about that one is my child as no idea who Tyra Banks is, and I have nary a clue where she heard it from. When I asked her where she had heard the word "fierce" from, she said, "I just made it up!"

Lady of the flies

You know how some people have a love/hate relationship with things? I have that with insects. Except that it's mostly hate/hate. Especially flies. I loathe them.

Unfortunately, I seem to have a little animal rights activist who majors in the welfare of flies on my hands. I am not authorized to harm flies in any way. In fact, she names the flies that surreptitiously sneak their way in to our house. Yup... she names them.

As in, "Mom, I haven't seen Sally around lately... did you do something to her?"

Or, "Don't hurt Elaine, she's my friend!"

Sigh. I've got to arrange some more play dates for that girl.

Anyway, as much as I would love to flyswatter the little winged menace back whence it came, all the while humming the Circle of Life, I refrain for Elise's sake.

Because years from now, I don't want her telling her therapist about how I used to kill her friends.

Having a bit of an identity crisis

Not me. This blog.

I started it to be a dumping ground for the crazy that runs through my brain. Often I would litter it with posts about Elise. After Elise's diagnosis and the birth of Mattias, I find it harder and harder to find the time to post anything here anymore.

That makes me sad.

Writing has always been an outlet for me, and the written word helps me to express myself in a way that I cannot do through any other medium. For me it's never been about readership, comments or feedback (though it is always fun when I do get a comment or two). It's therapy; cheap and readily available for when I need it.

The main problem is time. Life is busy. Carving out a few minutes in a day to cobble together a post is hard. Especially with my attentions divided between this blog and my other one. When I look through my drafts folder, I see so many unfinished posts; lonely and forgotten like the awkward kids standing against the wall at a dance, waiting for their turn to come.

So the new year has me pondering what exactly I should do with this old dumping ground of crazy. And while I realize that this post does nothing but verbalize what's been knocking around in my brain over the last few months, it sure does feel good to get it out.