My Gut is NOT Full of Crap

The abdominal pain epic has been going on for over two years at this point. It's a long story if your interested here are my old posts on the subject:

• Abdominal Angst and Answers
• Getting Ready for the Next Round
• Pain Changer
• The Not So Exciting Conclusion

For those of you who don't want to reread I'll sum up the ordeal. A little over two years ago I started having horrible abdominal pain. It was an excruciating experience. I'd have these "attacks" in the middle of the night for hours for two or three consecutive nights every month or so. In the end I was told I had a hormone imbalance causing cysts which were bursting causing all the pain. The doctor told me hormone regulation on the pill was the only option. I was really upset because I wanted to know why this was happening and stop it. The last thing I wanted was to go on hormone regulation to possibly make the symptoms bearable. I knew it wasn't what I wanted, but I couldn't take it anymore. I begrudgingly went on the pill over the summer.

Around Christmas I decided managing the symptoms (if you could call it that) wasn't panning out. I was wacky from the pill and I was still having abdominal pain, it just wasn't as severe. After New Years I stopped taking the pill. Mike and I read anything we could find on the subject and decided it might be related to how well my liver processes hormones. I started taking Reishi, a mushroom you can take in capsule form to help liver function. I denied myself even an occasional ibuprofen (not easy). I charted my cycles to see when exactly the pain was happening on my timeline. It was rough at first because the pain came back immediately.

After a month or two went by I had a string of dental issues which caused me to give up caffeine. Around the same time I dramatically increased my water intake. I didn't completely cut out caffeine forever. I laid off entirely for a month and now have some occasionally, but no more coffee in the morning. These changes in hydration and caffeine intake happened late July. This month I realized it had been two months since I'd had any abdominal pain.

Mike it certain it just took that long for the pill to work its way out of my system. He's probably right, but I now the caffeine and water adjustments played a role for sure. I'm so glad I didn't stay on the pill. In the end I really believe it was as simple as a few adjustments in my diet and routine. You just have to go with your gut!

What the Right Decision Looks Like

After three weeks of school I transferred Riley. The details aren't important because after three weeks at her new school it is clear I did the right thing. Thank God! My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Look at the evidence, I found my sweet happy girl again.

There was a new first day sign for our fresh start. She's collected leaves for a nature collage, learned new songs, discussed science topics, practiced her handwriting, made friends, made art, taken a field trip, befriended the stuffed dinosaur in the front office (Diney), learned about a different culture, practiced her musical scales, been to a party and danced a lot! The bulletin board inside the door says "You are artists! You are bright! You are explorers! You are loved! You are the reason we are here." Isn't that great? I'm glad she's happy and learning again.

Conversations with Cute: Video Edition 2014

If you want to see previous cuteness click here: Three Year Old Video Interview and Last Year's Video.

What's your favorite color?
Red, Pink & Purple
Expanding her color horizons a bit

What's your favorite toy?
The penguin toy at my school.
What does it do?
It's a bobble head, You have to bobble it's head. It's a bobble head, when I pet one.

What's your favorite fruit?
My favorite fruit is...ah Dragon Fruit
He Dad brought one home the store the other day, the kids LOVED it.

What's your favorite tv show?
Everything is awesome.
Everything is awesome is not a tv show, Goose. It's from a movie. Is it Wild Kratts or Dora? Something with episodes.
Dora the Explorer.
(Daddy opens the door and Roo tells him he's going to be on the video)

What's your favorite food to eat for lunch?
I need to think a lot...steak (big smile)
It's news to me, We give it to her now and then, but she's never very excited about it.

What's your favorite clothes to wear?
I like to wear my Rapunzel dress. Yeah because I'm princess Rapunzel.

What's your favorite game to play? Is it the cupcake game?
Yes!!

What's your favorite snack?
Bread and cheese sticks

What's your favorite animal?
I like a sea otter

What's your favorite song?
Everything is Awesome!
(From the Lego Movie)

What's your favorite book?
Uh...bully goat
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat

Who's your favorite person to play with?
Savannah

What's your favorite food to eat for dinner?
(I have no idea what she said at first)
Isn't it chicken nuggets?
Chicken nuggets and meat
(Odd that she tacked meat in general on there)

What's your favorite thing to do outside?
Push the big blue ball into the slide so I can push it out again. I can slide down and push it out again.

What's your favorite thing to drink?
Um...Sprite
(She had her first Sprite last Christmas and hasn't had one since. Must have made an impression.)

Where's your favorite place to go?
Neverland

What do you like to do before bed?
Frangoline and the Midnight Dream I like to read that a lot!

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Um..pancakes

What was your favorite thing you got for your birthday?
The Cupcake Game

What do you want to be when your all grown up?
A ballerina and a paleontologist. Paleontologists have to very serious.
Are you very serious?
No.
Do ballerinas have to be serious?
No.

Ok, look at Mommy, smile and say I'm 5!
I'm 5!

Five Year Check-Up!

First of all as much as I could live at Disney forever, it sure is nice to get back to normal! Riley's dinosaur friend in the front office was glad to have her back at school!

Right on the heals of our trip we had Miss Roo's five year check up! I knew she had her last round of shots for a long while, coming up. We discussed this as always in the 48hrs prior. She was pensive the whole morning and unusually quit. By the time I picked her up that afternoon to head to her appointment she was almost giddy. "I'll see you later, guys! I have to go get my shots! I'm going to get stickers and lollipops!" It was adorable, but not as adorable as when we walked into the doctor's office and she told the lady and the desk in her most excited voice "I'm ready for my shot!" The lady behind the desk laughed and insisted Roo give her a big high five.

Miss Roo is growing steadily, but is only in the 10th percentile for her age. Small for her age, but perfectly proportioned height to weight just like her mom. It's funny because she doesn't seem smaller than the other kids in her class. I only had two "concerns" going in: 1) Hemangioma 2) Vision. He checked her "baby button" and said it was breaking down and had become calloused. He recommend we put lotion on it at night.

Sidebar: A few days later Roo was in my room telling me a story: "One day I was trying to wash my hands and I thought the lotion was soap by accident! Ewww. I had to wash it off and start again! So Dun-Dun!" She did the funny-est gesture when she said the last part too. Super dramatic ending, hilarious.

He did agree with me that her eye was rolling in enough to cause concern just from observing her since he'd been in the room. He also did a simple exam and concluded "The left one rolls in significantly and the right one rolls in slightly as well." Yeesh. With both of her parents having vision problems and wearing glasses in childhood it was bound to happen. Unfortunately, the recent issues with Roo's now former school have fostered some serious trust issues for me so I do not relish the thought of finding a new doctor.

Then it was time for her last two shots until she turns eleven! She was raring to go. Dr. Jay told her that she could have 3 stickers AND 3 lollipops if she was brave and didn't cry. She was pretty excited. I pulled the long sleeve shirt she had insisted on wearing off her arms. I left it around her neck and turned a bit and said "Now you have a cape!" (we've always referred to getting shots as "getting your superpowers" in our house). She hopped up on my lap and I said "I know you don't need it, big girl, but I'm going to give you a gentle hug until it's done." She really didn't need the gentle hug. She sat still and only uttered a tiny "ouch" and immediately confirmed that didn't count as crying. "No Ma'am, it's ok to say ouch." She said ouch one more time and then it was over.

She hoped down and adjusted her shirt before I blinked. Dr Jay commented "Almost no one gets three lollipops, good job Riley." There was a quick high five as she had important business to attend to. She practically sprinted down the hall. She chose a Snow White sticker, Sofia the first sticker and a Sleeping Beauty sticker. Then she chose her three lollipops and humored Mom for a picture of my brave girl. As always I let her have a celebratory lollipop right away. She earned it.

Princess-tastic Birthday Adventure Part 2

There was magic! Wishes and dancing! Princesses and cupcakes! It was a wonderful trip. Happy Birthday my big 5 year-old girls! We love you!!

Princess-tastic Birthday Adventure Part 1

The Birthday Adventurers!

Ready, Set, Disney!

DIY Magic Band Decorating

When Magic bands appeared on the scene I remember thinking they were pretty plain. Soon after Disney rolled out all their Magic Band accessories and I remarked to my husband "those are cute, but I could make them make them pretty without all that." Cue my first stay on Disney property ever to prompt a little Pinterest research. Miss Roo got these adorable Frozen tattoos in one of her birthdays gifts. It was super easy and they turned out great.

Materials

• Magic Bands!
• Disney Themed Temporary Tattoos
• Clear Nail Polish
• Sparkly Nail Polish
• Small Skewers/Qtips
• Scissors
• Wet Washcloth/Paper Towel

Choose your tattoo and cut it out. I found long slim-er tattoos fit best. Cut as close to the design as you can. Remove the the clear film and place it face down on your band. Cover with a wet washcloth for about 20 seconds. Make sure you don't move your tattoo around while applying it, it will cause tears. Gently peal off the backing paper. Allow your tattoo to dry. Then apply a thin coat of nail polish evenly over top of the tattoo.

Once your clear coat is applied use a skewer to clean up any part of the tattoo that goes over the edges. Apply sparkly nail polish as desired. For Roo's pink band I used pink sparkly polish on the Mickey head and in a thin coat over the rest of the band. For another band I used silver sparkles on top of the snow flakes and Mickey head. On the last two I applied a coat of silver sparkles over the whole band. Once you're done allow to dry completely and you're all set!

Princess Roo eating a Mickey bar and sporting her sparkly magic band.