Body Semester..

On Monday morning at 5am I start a grueling 16 weeks of very intensive diet/training... I am very excited to be working along a very good friend of mine that has successfully changed her life for the better in so many way's. I know you are all thinking I don't have any weight toloose but underneath all the clothing layers you would be shocked.. In December I will show ff my before and after pictures.. I know I will succeed.. A reward of a entire new wardrobe awaits me and just in time for christmas!

My goals are to loose a minimum of 10 lbs (anything more will be a bonus-less would be upsetting) and of course to gain the strength and confidence.

I will succeed, I will succeed because My children deserve a mom fit and healthy, but most of all I will succeed because I deserve to feel fantastic!

How loudly can you shout "HELP"?

Yes Folks I'm a yellin!!

On the third Wednesday of September I have been asked to give a presentation on Cloth Diapers!! ARGH!! I have been using cloth on Emily for 5 months now and have no regrets at all! Despite being mocked and being told "Don't expect her to be in cloth if she were ever to live with me" remarks we are doing fantastic! Even hubby is on board (Mention cost efficiency and they soon come around-Not to mention I don't expect him to change a diaper or do laundry)

I am so excited! My friend Devin over at www.clothdiapersinc.com is sending me her business cards and rack cards (similar to brochures) I will be showcasing her story and website.. (Which is where I get all of my mommy needs and baby care needs)..

So let the research begin! Carbon footprints and cost efficiency will be my major for the next month!

Cloth Diapers!

So not as scary as you think! We have had Emily-morgan wearing cloth diapers for over 5 months!

While pregnant I made the decision to cloth diaper 100%. I found some diapers online that I was amazed by, The price was extremely affordable and the colours were adoreable! I went through to the end of the pregnancy collecting several of this particular brand of diaper.. Because Emily arrived a little earlier than expected she begun life in sposies, She wound up being allergic to many brands finally at 4 weeks she became big enough to fit into the CD's that I was so excited to use! After a few washes the PUL (waterproof lining) began to pull away from the fabric... Needless to say back to the drawing board! The company have done nothing to help with the situation regardless of the claim to have them all under warranty.

Along came clothdiapersinc.com to the rescue! With thanks to Layaway options and a rewards program matched with amazing customer service I managed to keep Emily in cloth diapers, She is now the proud owner of Fuzzibunz and Kawaii diapers (as well as several that I made)

I know what you are thinking...... POOP...... I thought that too.. But It is not as scary as you think it may be! Gone are the days of rinsing in the toilet.. The days of prefolds and safety pins... Plastic pants.. All gone! Now the luxuary of disposables are in the form of cloth, I do 2 extra loads of laundry a week and hang them outside to dry. The sun is a natural antibacterial agent and works wonders if any stains appear.

With a shower attachment next to the toilet just rinse right off and launch into a diaper pail for laundry day The pail liners are made from the same fabric and just throw everything in the washing machine no gross toilet water, no gross smells, a small carbon footprint butt above all a happy baby!

Head on over to http://www.clothdiapersinc.com/ for all your cloth diapering/momma needs!

The "Big latch on"

It is breastfeeding awareness week!

Where will you be?
What will you be doing?
Anything?
Nothing?

What will I be doing? ATTENDING the "big latch on" Yes folks its time for a new world record so all you nursing moms lets gather around the world at 10:00am (In all time zones) and register to be a part of this exciting venture! You can find your location here... http://lllusa.org/wbw/BigLatchOn.php#Events If you don't have a location close enough to you and you wish to participate you can create your own location here...http://www.biglatchon.org/create-a-location.html

If you are not a nursing mom nut want to participate you still can.. Show up at a location near you and help with registration or even counting the participants, If you know of a company that can sponser a group by providing drinks or even a fun cake then please contact them.

I will be attending:

River Road Foremaster Auditorium
St George

Arrive prior to 10 am in order to complete registration and to get comfortable in order to start nursing our babies. I hope to see you there!!

You can find the St George group on facebook right here;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Big-Latch-On-St-George/246390108711963?sk=wall#!/pages/The-Big-Latch-On-St-George/246390108711963

Kindergarten Graduated into First grade!

Wow! Cody has graduated Kindergarten and is now heading into first grade. We were sad to say goodbye to Mrs Ekker but excited to meet Mrs Bali. It was a fantastic Kindergarten year and Cody has done amazingly well.
Parker starts Pre-School this year with Miss Kristy, Yup the same teacher Cody had. (My choice) He is excited yet sad because he will not be able to ride the bus. We still need to figure out his second year of pre-school that is still in the process of elimination since his allergies are so severe he is being declined left right and center.
Emily is almost 6 months old and doing great. Growing like a weed and already exceeding her milestones and rolling over and even a small attempt at crawling. She babbles constantly with her brothers and loves to chew on there fingers.

We just invested in a camp trailer (caravan) and went onour first weekend vacation to Marysvale UT, We had a great deal of fun even when Cody fell out of the bunk bed and landed right on top of me. That is as much of an update that I have at this time so have a great day and I will update as soon time allows.

Vacation time.

Carl and his family are currently flying over the United States Of America to visit for a few weeks, We travel to meet up with them on Saturday to bring them back to UT for a short while. Cody is extremely excited he has set up there beds in his room and has even designated who sleeps where. It is only a matter of hours before we hear from them.

Managing Gastroparesis while travelling.

Having a son struggling with Gastroparesis I often find myself searching the support sites for useful information. A friend of mine in the g-pact community had this in her blog so I have printed it out and will be using it this year for our trip to California in July.

Here is her article;

For those of us with digestive disorders, figuring out what to eat at home can be difficult enough; traveling often seems impossible. However, there are some steps you can take to minimize frustration and flare-ups while on the road.

1, As much as possible, stick to your regular routine in terms of what, when and how you eat. Unless you're prepared to deal with a possible flare-up, this is not the time to experiment. If you usually keep a food journal (something I highly recommend), continue to do so.

2, Regardless of how you're traveling, always bring plenty of your own food. Never assume there will be safe options along the way. A small cooler can be helpful for transporting meal replacement drinks, yogurt, cheese sticks, etc. [If you are traveling by plane, call the airline to inquire about the current rules for bringing liquids on board.]

3, If you rely on smoothies or protein shakes, invest in a small, packable blender, such as a Magic Bullet, to use when you reach your destination.

4, Before you leave, make a list of common foods that you know you can eat (i.e. grilled chicken, broiled fish, baked potatoes, chicken noodle soup, rice, etc.). When dining at restaurants, order from your own list to lessen feelings of frustration, confusion and deprivation.

5, Try to get some physical activity after meals. Many people find that walking helps to alleviate symptoms and improve digestion. It's also a great way to explore your vacation destination!

6, Because traveling can be stressful and stress further impairs digestion, it's especially important to take a few minutes just to breathe and relax before and after you eat.

7, While the limitations and demands of gastroparesis can seem overwhelming, especially while on vacation, try to focus on all of the things you *can* do. Having fun, laughing, and enjoying the company of your travel companions can only make you feel better!

You can follow Crystal Saltrelli's blog at:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs037/1103092623330/archive/1103507485072.html

Summer begins..

Can you believe its summer? I know I can't! Its already coming to the end of June A lot has happened since my last post. Cody finished pre-school, Parker has gained half a pound, I started back at the gym after being told not to for the best part of 7 months Charlie has purchased at least 4 cars and sold 3, The house flooded (twice) painted the entire house (twice) and we planted a vegetable garden. Not forgetting Cody's new friend Lilyana. It set to be an exciting summer with playdates and general fun.

Carl and Michelle and there two children Charlie and Jess are set to arrive in 31 days. We will be meeting up with them on the 24th in California. It has been many years since we were together so its all kinds of exciting. lots of fun activities planned with also a hope to sit and do nothing but chat.