We had a scary day.  Right after breakfast our 16 month old got into the trash can and my husband took the trash away from him, told him NO and took him in to the bathroom to wash his hands.  Our son got mad and cried for a few seconds and then his whole body stiffened and he started having what looked like a seizure.  He lost his color, his head went back and stiffened, he didn't seem to be breathing, and we could not pry his mouth open to see if he was choking because his teeth were clenched shut.

During all this we didn't know if he was choking, seizing, breathing, or what.  I was on the phone with 911, hubby was trying everything they told us to, and our son was completely unresponsive (eyes closed) and seemed to be turning blue.  Finally he started crying again.  The paramedics arrived and he was "post seizure"...lethargic and unable to focus on anything with his eyes glazed over.  But he started coming back to normal.  I called our pediatrician and they wanted him checked out so I took him to the Children's ER at the hospital.

The doc there was completely convinced that he held his breath due to being mad and that the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to have that reaction.  She said some kids who do this pass out limp and others can have involuntary jerking movements that look like a seizure.   If it happens again she said the thing to do is lay them on their sides (if on their backs then their tongues could stop their breathing) until they come to.  Also, she said to never put anything into their mouths during a seizure.

Until he started crying again, my husband and I both believed our son was about to die.  It all happened within a few minutes but it felt like ages.  I keep having flashbacks of how he looked during the scariest time. On a good note, the paramedics arrived in record time and were super nice.  They told us to call them anytime we need them because "that's what they are there for."    

We are very thankful we were both home when this happened.  When it started the oldest five kids were quickly told to stay upstairs and stay quiet while the "firemen come to help" and they were so good to do so!  This was yet another strong reminder that we do not know how long we will have our children with us and that God is in control of all things.

My three year old took his first sip of goat's milk yesterday and ended up in the hospital.  He is allergic to eggs and cow's milk (as well as several other foods) and now we know he is also highly allergic to goat's milk.

After he took one sip he said "Mmm that's good" and ran off to play.  He immediately came running back screaming that his "mouth was burning."  I gave him Benadryl and then he started coughing, saying his ears and stomach hurt, and he headed upstairs because he wanted to "go to his bed."  He immediately came running back down the stairs screaming that his "mouth is burning!"  He then laid down on the floor crying.  I called my husband at work and he said he would head home.

My son closed his eyes (while lying on the floor) and would not open them to look at me.  I was trying to get him to talk to me and he wouldn't except once after I yelled for him to talk to me he screamed "Mom, you're scaring me!" He then wouldn't say anything else.   I called his allergist and they told me to call 911.

When I called 9-1-1, I got a recording that said "all circuits are busy now" over and over.  Incredulous, I just kept the phone to my ear and someone did come on the line and said they would send an ambulance. 

My two youngest children were in their cribs for naptime and I told the three oldest that the firemen were coming into the house and I needed them to stay in the room upstairs and watch cartoons.  In between all the running around I was calling everyone I could think of to come babysit and no one was answering the phone.  Finally one of our babysitters answered and said she was on her way but then remembered she was without a car and couldn't come.  Thankfully, during this entire event all five other children stayed upstairs and stayed completely quiet.  What a miraculous blessing!

 A few minutes later the paramedics came rushing into our house and at this point my son was unresponsive and struggling to breathe (very shallow breathing).  They carried his limp body out to the ambulance.  He did not even open his eyes during all of this.  They put oxygen on him, gave him a shot of epinephrine and started an IV.  He screamed during the shot (a very good sign) and immediately started breathing perfectly.  They assured me that he was okay but said he needed to go to the hospital for observation by the doctors.

A neighbor's daughter (whom I had never met) walked down the street and said she would keep my children for me, which was so kind!  But they all have food allergies, had never met her before, and it was time for me to nurse the baby.  I was so torn about my son going alone to the hospital and not knowing how to manage taking care of all the other children while there, too.  My husband was 20 minutes away.  I asked if the baby and I could ride in the ambulance while the neighbor kept the others and they did not want to do that because they said there would be carseat regulations and they would have to set one up.  I told the paramedics that I was going to nurse the baby and gather up all five kids and follow them to the hospital.  One of them worked very hard to calm me down and convince me that it would be best for me to stay home with the kids and let my husband go straight to the hospital to be with our son as he was not far behind them.  Looking back we are very thankful for that decision but at the time I was uncomfortable with every option before me!

So!  My three year old was taken via ambulance to the hospital without a parent or anyone he knew with him.  When my husband walked into the emergency holding room, my son was wrapped up in bedsheets in a hosptial bed and was peering out from the covers.  At first he didn't notice my husband walking into the room but then he saw him and said "I'm at the HOSPITAL, DAD!" and the nurse said that was the first time he had spoken since he had arrived.  The docs said he was fine, sent him home with a 24 hour prescription antihistamine, and he walked into our house bubbling with excitement (along with a literal shot of adrenaline!) over his adventure.

The entire event only lasted a little over two hours, but my legs were still shaking until bedtime.  This trial had me facing two of my biggest food allergy fears:  an epinephrine shot being necessary for one of my kids, and the dilemma of one child needing to go to the hospital and not being able to find a sitter for the other five.  We made it through and can testify with certainty that the Lord is good and He cares for us!

I have heard that varicose veins are common in pregnancy but never experienced them until now--my sixth pregnancy.  OUCH!  "Mama Spanx" at www.spanx.com help relieve much of the pain.  Any other mammas out there who can share things that helped you deal with this?  And do they really go away after delivery?  Feel free to email if you'd rather not post a comment.  Thank you! 

To save money and time, we give our boys haircuts with the Remington HKVAC-2000 Precision Vacuum Haircut Kit. 

My husband also cuts his own hair with this vacuum hair trimmer.  The trimmer collects the hair in the "vacuum" compartment so there is very little to clean up afterwards compared to a regular hair trimmer.  We have found it is definitely worth the $26.99 and can be found at amazon.com.

 I love to find things that make life easier and love to save money, too!

Moms4Psalms

Did you know your baby should have a vision screening before turning one year old to prevent possible problems down the road? 

A new program came out last year called InfantSEE and they provide FREE vision exams for infants ages 6-12 months.  All you have to do is find a participating optometrist at www.infantsee.org .

We just took baby number five (at 8 months old) and her vision is fine.  We took baby number four at 8 months old and he was put in glasses.  His vision is improving--and his eyes have not crossed.  We did not take our first baby until we saw her eyes crossing at two years old and she has been in glasses ever since and her eyes still cross.  Early prevention is key!

Changing diapers, washing dishes, and preparing food throughout each day equals LOTS of hand washing and my hands have paid the price.  In fact, the "psoriasis" caused from so much hand washing became very painful, near arthritic, and very horrible looking.  So I went to a dermatologist and was prescribed expensive lotions and expensive steroid cream prescriptions.  EEK!

But alas!  I have found a solution that is comparitively cheap and painless.  Disposable Vinyl Gloves!  Now . . . I am not talking about the powder-lined few that come in a tiny box at Walmart.  Those dry out my hands even worse. 

Goto   http://www.prs-online.com/  for professional, medical grade, FDA approved for food handling, vinyl gloves. They are GREAT!  I like the powder-free vinyl for handling toileting clean-ups and for food preparation they have a box of 100 Polyethlylene gloves for just 75 cents!  My hands are no longer wrinkled, arthritic, split, burning, red, etc.  I still need to use lotion but I can use the cheap stuff.  Now why couldn't my dermatologist have suggested I at least try this?

I had to share the find.  I know I'm not the only hand-washing fanatic out there who suffers from this ailment. 

Happy Hands to you!

,

Moms4Psalms

I have gained 40 pounds each year for the past five years.  I will not "diet" and I do not exercise.  And no, I do not weigh over 400 pounds! 

I have gained 40 pounds each year for five years due to being pregnant each year since I married.  The weight used to come off without real effort (breastfeeding burns lots of calories while sitting!).  HOWEVER, with each pregnancy it was taking longer to lose.  And with the fifth pregnancy and turning 30, that 40 pounds came on in the early trimesters.  I realized I needed to start paying attention to my weight.  But I will not "diet" and I do not exercise.  So what is my solution?

I found two great "non-diet" books with simple, lifestyle changing ways to lose and then maintain a satisfactory weight.  One is "French Women Don't Get Fat:  The Secret of Eating for Pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano.  The other is Dr. Phil McGraw's "The Ultimate Weight Solution."

Dr. Phil's book helped me consider my emotional and physical lifestyle habits with food.   Do I grab a coke when I am stressed or say I "deserve" to eat ice cream today?  Do I munch in front of the TV by habit or because I am really hungry?  He also includes helpful behavioral rules for losing weight.  One is to get the junk food out of the house.  If it is not there, you can't eat it!

"French Women Don't Get Fat:  The Secret to Eating for Pleasure" was a delight to read.  I believe God gave us food for our sustanance and for our enjoyment (including butter, cheese, and DESSERTS).  I have no interest in following a strict "diet" plan that does not allow me to eat the foods I enjoy.  I appreciate this author's approach to eating for pleasure with moderation.

The basic plan I am resolved to follow is:

1.  On weekdays, drink water, water, water!  On weekends or special occasions, I enjoy my sweet tea.

2.  On weekdays, avoid junk food.  I eat more fruit and foods without much added fat.  On weekends or special occasions, I enjoy fast (or fried) foods and desserts.

Knowing that on the weekend I will be able to eat "junk" makes it easier to refrain from such food during the week.  Acquiring a taste for water was difficult for me (bottled water helps).  Eating apples or grapes for my afternoon snack instead of cookies or chips was not as traumatic as I had expected.  Did you know different kinds of apples have very different tastes?  I like the super-sweet Fuji apples!

What has amazed me is finding how my tastes are changing.  The habit of eating more healthy throughout the week actually curbs my desire to eat too much junk on weekends.  I now enjoy eating fruits and vegetables.  And I am better at eating everything more moderately.  

Guiliano says that instead of obsessing with the numbers on the scale, go by how your clothes are fitting.  My boys broke my scale several months ago so I do not know what my weight is.  But I have realized lately that my wedding ring is falling off, and so are my jeans!  I checked out these books from the library, but plan to own "French Women Don't Get Fat."  One of my New Year's resolutions . . . .