A good day

It's been a really good, uneventful day.

I had one last personal day so I decided to take off. Levi has enough days so he took off work too. We still sent the kids to their respective child care. 

I had a physical done today- blood pressure and blood work- yuck! Blood pressure was pretty good.. I like it to be lower, but it's close to what you can expect being a rushed morning and being in a dr's office. As for blood work, it will be a few days before I get those results.

Next, Levi and I had breakfast at Stobys. Yum!! Seriously, so good! Then we organized some in the attic and got stuff together for a yard sale. Gotta make some money so I can get some Chacos. I would sell my hair for some Chacos. Then I enjoyed a nice nap.. That never happens! 

We got to pick the boys up together. Canaan loves when he sees both mama and daddy picking him up. His teachers informed us that he is a "leader" in his class. He's always correcting them and taking the lead over the class. We appreciate the way they used "leader" instead of "Mr.Bossy-pants". We will claim the leadership quality and will work with him on being Christ-like in his leadership skills. 

If you read, remember to leave a comment with an update on you and yours. 

Keeping up with the Gilberts

Here is my wish for this blog..

#1 That I would keep up with it.

#2 That it would help phase me out of Facebook.. at least get me away from being on it as much. I've found myself compulsively checking Facebook WAYYY too much. I usually end up getting sad about things I see or even mad, or jealous (a little embarrassed about that one). SO, I'm hoping to use this blog the way I planned to use Facebook. To keep up with friends and family. I may post a couple of times a day (although the goal is once or less), or it may be a few days in between posts. The main goal is to keep friends and family involved in what's going on at the Gilbert casa.

#3 My third and final wish is that if you visit my blog and read my post, that you will leave a comment with something going on in your life so I can keep up with YOU.

So here goes..

This has been a wonderful weekend! On Friday, Mark, Candace, and Hayden came to visit!! Ok, so they were getting out to celebrate their FIVE year anniversary.. but I've really been missing my nephew so it was a really great end to a stressful week.

On Saturday, Levi and I took advantage of a Christmas present that Levi got for us. He paid our favorite babysitter, KC, in advance for 20 hours of babysitting. Great present, right?! So we went to the movies to see X-Men. Great movie! We also got breakfast at Panera before and went to try on some Chacos. Which, I want some REALLY bad but not enough to shell out $100! Why must all the good things be so expensive?!

Saturday night we went to "chuch" as Canaan calls it. He alternates between calling it "skool" and "chuch" depending on his mood, I guess. It was Declan's first time in the baby room. He did great and we were told he laughed the whole time. It was nice to sit in service without fear of having to walk out with a crying or fussy baby.

Sunday we had lunch with our favorites, Uncle Abe, Aunt Sisi and Baby Zeke. It was long overdue, but I think we've all been a little nervous to get out with the now THREE kids we have between the two couples. Other than that, we had pineapple whip and enjoyed being at home!

Today we played outside, we played inside, we watched Toy Story (surprise!) and Declan and I got out to meet his Pediatrician so she could check his ears. How awesome is our friend that she would meet us at the clinic (it wasn't open) to check his ears. He's been pulling at them and as I suspected, he has an ear infection. He had one recently and we were bad parents and neglected to finish out his antibiotic (apparently twice a day is just way too much for us).  Pray for our baby's ears.

Tomorrow, Levi and I both took off work but are taking the boys to their daycares. This will be the last time we'll get to do this because in two weeks I will be home FOR GOOD! I am SO excited. I'm a little nervous too.. I mean, what DO you do with two boys all day?! I'll figure it out, I'm sure. Anyway, I also have a physical tomorrow (insurance pays for one free physical a year so I'm taking advantage. The doctor took me off blood pressure meds a month ago.. Praise JESUS! So I'm believing that my bp is still down and that everything else is perfect!

Well, Declan's mouth is finally a much lighter shade of purple after using Gentian Violet for his thrush issues, so we are going to attempt five month pictures. Remember to comment with something about your life or family.

Let's keep in touch!

Health check

So.... here's an update, health wise.

So far, my blood pressure is still high. I'm on medication again and I really am only seeing a lower number when I wake up in the morning. Duh. It gets pretty frustrating.

What am I doing?

I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio a day. Sometimes more.
I'm drinking a healthy smoothie almost every day. Kale, Spinach, Pineapple, Banana, Chia seeds, Greek Yogurt and Green Superfood supplement.
I'm trying, REALLY trying to cut back on sugar. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I'm not.
No soda. No sweet tea. This is huge.
No white flour. Only whole wheat bread.
Cut back majorly on processed foods. Maybe eating 50% processed foods ( I want to say less than that but am being conservative). Definitely nothing out of a box, mainly things that are added like seasonings, oatmeal, sauces, bread..
As of yesterday, I've started taking Lifebeat from Inspire International. It's full of good stuff. I'm really excited about it.

What I need to be doing...
Start doing Pilates on top of cardio.
Be more aggressive in my cardio.
Be successful at cutting out sugar more consistently.
Eat even less processed foods.
Cook more and experiment with new foods.
STOP STRESSING! Trust and be confident that God has this!

Quinoa, lentils, edamame.. oh my!

It's been a while since my last post.. I've been busy. So here's an update on the health issues..

My leg is 85% better! I can feel about 95% of it.. only numbness in parts now. I've seen so much improvement with the steroids and physical therapy. We haven't been very happy with our neuro surgeon. The last time we saw him, he prescribed an anti inflammatory, muscle relaxers, and more steroids. I opted not to take the anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxers because they can raise blood pressure. The steroids again helped.

Blood pressure. Those are the worst two words I've ever heard. All I think about is blood pressure. There is so much I just don't understand. I've decided and have been advised to not look up any more information about it. I don't understand how a healthy, thin person can have high blood pressure. In the past 12 weeks, I have completely, and I mean completely, changed my lifestyle. I don't remember the last time I worked out but I started riding the stationary bike 6 weeks ago and have only missed 2 days since I began. I've been eating foods recommended to lower blood pressure. I've been doing detox's and taking supplements. I've even been on the Candida diet. It's ridiculous.

I'm so sick of worrying about blood pressure. I've prayed and prayed and prayed. I've listened to sermons on fear and anxiety. I've prayed. I've quoted scripture over myself. and I've prayed. I know that God has given me authority to overcome and I've received it. But yet, I worry. God specifically commands me not to, yet I do. This sucks.

So for the title of the entry: Quinoa, lentils, edamame..oh my! These are just a few of the foods I've been eating SO much of lately. I feel so healthy. I've dropped my sugar consumption probably 75%. I still crave sugar but it's getting better. I haven't had soda in a couple of weeks and even so, not near as much as I was used to drinking it.

Needless to say, I'm doing what I need to do and God is faithful to do his part.

A way of life..

I've never stuck to a New Year's Resolution. For that reason, I don't bother making them anymore. What I am doing is not making a resolution, but making a life-changing decision. I'm changing the way I eat. That probably doesn't seem like a lot, but to me, it's a really big deal. I'm a pizza loving, cheese dip indulging chocoholic. I've never actually been on a "diet".

I definitely wouldn't call this a diet, either. It can't be. It absolutely cannot be something I do for a little while and then go back to my old ways. It's life or death.

I know that sound harsh, but it really it's the truth. Let me explain.

My mom has high blood pressure. My mom's dad has congestive heart failure. My dad and his dad have both had heart attacks. The heart is attacked in my family.

I just had my second baby. With my first son, I had preeclampsia; high blood pressure during pregnancy. I had to go to a lot of extra appointments and ended up delivering at 37 weeks with magnesium IV after (it was like death). I was assured by a lot of people that I wouldn't have it again, that it was common for first pregnancies and that's it. This reasoning was not shared by my doctor. Well, second pregnancy was going fantastic until about week 34 and then BAM.. high blood pressure.  I stopped working two weeks early and delivered at 38 weeks. Now, this could be a pregnancy related issue, but I can't afford to live like that's the case.

Hypertension and heart disease are 100% treatable and even reversible with food and exercise.. FOOD! I've watched a few documentaries since my son was born (just 3 weeks ago) and am still amazed that something so deadly is so treatable with better decisions. And there you have it.. it comes down to a way of life. My way of life has to change.

I'm what you would call "skinny fat". I'm thin. I'm not super stick thin, but you would probably think I work out and take care of my body. Wrong. I'm addicted to sugar. I don't say that lightly. There is no doubt in my mind that I have a severe problem with sweets. Today, I have had a dr. pepper, two sweet teas, a cupcake, and at least 6 small pieces of dark chocolate. At least it was dark. Dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure. Sugar is my biggest eating problem. In the past week I have already made huge advances in my eating choices and believe it or not, even my sugar intake is better.

Here are my goals.. 1) Plant based diet. I'm already a vegetarian so meat is not a problem. However, a true plant based diet also excludes dairy-- and I love dairy. I love a HUGE glass of skim milk with a cupcake or peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I love cheese and I enjoy eggs. Eggs have mainly been a source of protein, so they aren't as big of a challenge to give up, but it does limit my options. You see, I am probably the pickiest eater any one of my friends/family know. I don't like many vegetables or fruits (did I mention I'm a vegetarian?). I've been labeled a "carbatarian" and a "junkaholic". Those words don't even exist- they were made up just for me. This goal will take a lot of work and will power. 2) consistent exercise- most days of the week I must do 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise and strength training.

This blog will be used to update my progress on these goals as well as to add more goals. I will document new foods that I try and any roadblocks I may face. I also plan to use this as a way to document "Godstops" or ways that God shows up in this journey because I definitely can't do it without His help and He gets all the glory for any improvements made. Honestly, succeeding at all in this process will be a miracle.

My long-term goal besides perfect blood pressure and health is Baby #3. I know.. Woah.. hold your horses. I definitely am not taking away from the joy of our new baby by already planning the next. It's not like that. But there's nothing like feeling you may not get to have any more babies.  I believe there is a third child in our future- another person that will be a part of our family. I need to be healthy enough to do my part in getting him/her here. You could say this journey is as much for me as for my husband/children.

Here goes..

Biggest regret: Dear Canaan

2.20.2013

Dear Canaan,

Today is one of the saddest days of my life. My Papa, your Great Papa Jim, passed away.

One of the greatest sorrows of my life is that you won't remember him. And you have already loved him so much. Every time you've been around him, you have taken to him like he was your best friend.

And oh, how he loved you!! We always knew you gave him such joy because he would say "you're a dandy".. whatever that means. I don't think there were real words for how much he thought of you.

But you won't experience it again in this life.

I will always treasure the sacrifices he made to be near you/us this past year. He had every reason to stay home in his comfortable recliner and enormous big screen tv. But he made sure that he made it to everything possible.

The first trip was to your dedication.  He had just recently been diagnosed and received chemo treatments. He was tired. But he was there! He was able to lay hands on you and pray for your future!

When we were able to go to OKC, he made sure that he could go to wherever the family was meeting. He would sit in his chair and he would watch you. You brought him so much joy!

I am so thankful that he came to your 1st birthday party. He didn't need to come. Medically, he should not have been there. But he made the decision and he wasn't backing down. We totally would have understood. In fact, it was completely unexpected. I am still, so thankful he shared in this day! He was so exhausted but he sat on the couch and just watched you enjoy your day.

If I would have known at Christmas that it would be the last time we would see him, I don't know what I would've done differently.. maybe never leave.

I remember growing up and my mom would mention her grand parents, my great grandparents. She loved them so much. I couldn't understand the pain behind the loss. I didn't know them like she did. I didn't understand the regret of not knowing them. But I do now..

You will always be your great-papa's "dandy". You held a very precious place in his heart.

I won't go in to how sad it makes me that he won't know your future sibling(s) or your future cousins. I do believe he is currently chasing after your older siblings (the ones you never got to play with here).

While I'm so sad that you won't remember him, I'm so thankful that he got to know you.

Canaan's FIVE Month post