Prayer Warriors Needed- Update

One of my closest friends just found out she was pregnant last week.  She's 40 and her and hubby have been actively TTC for 7 years.  They had just recently given up hope and began accepting their lives as they were.  They are a beautiful example of humbly accepting God's will.  Now she's spotting.  Has been for a week.  They go to the doctor tomorrow so there will be some answers then hopefully.  Will you please lift them up in prayer?  I'm so scared for them. 

St. Jude pray for us.

St. Gerard pray for us. 

St. Gianna pray for us.

St. Joseph pray for us. 

******Update*******
She went for the ultrasound yesterday and the doc saw a sac and took blood to check numbers and she'll have more taken Sunday to compare.  There wasn't a baby in the sac so the doctor said maybe she's earlier than she thought.  She doesn't chart so ovulation and last period aren't known for sure.  I'm still holding out hope....She is the perfect mixture of concerned and calm.  I'm not sure she's up for tons of intervention- I don't think she's 'there' yet if you know what I mean.  Here last words to me were, "it's in God's hands."  I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your prayers.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Guitar Man's Birthmother

We only know her last name from legal papers we received a few years ago.  His adoption was finalized well before open adoptions were an option.  Even though he was born before Roe v. Wade, I'm sure abortion could have been an option for her.  She gave her baby to an agency to decide who would parent him best.  Every once in a while I whisper 'thank you' to her.  After reading AIHPT's harrowing adoption story, I am moved to do more for her.  Really, all I can do is pray for her where ever she is.  That will have to be enough.  Guitar Man has no desire to search out his birthparents.

Adoption is such a beautiful gift.  Like most gifts from God, it is born from pain.  I have no idea what she went through- her thoughts, her feelings, her fears.  Did she hold him? Did she want to keep him?  Was she relieved when they took him away?  Whatever it was though, her courageous actions resulted in me being able to share my life with this precious man.

Thank you for trusting.

Thank you for carrying him.

His life wasn't perfect.

But, he's okay.  He's more than okay.

He's a beautiful person who does beautiful things for God.

We are obsessed

The Hunger Games have taken over our household.  I've had bronchitis so I had the opportunity to lay down and read Mockingjay in one day.  Then, I had the opportunity to google like crazy all kinds of reviews and interviews.  In a twisted way, I was happy to be sick so I could get lost in this world.  Hunger Games is the first book that AJ has enjoyed reading enough to read outside his 15 minute mandated daily reading time.  Guitar Man is tolerating this obsession.  He's more of a literary guy- right now he's reading Moby Dick.  I just heard him call our dog Cookie, Cook-niss.  HAHAHA!!!

Something Beautiful for God

Guitar Man's first instrument is the accordion.  Yes- you read that right.  He has a strong distaste for the instrument of his youth.  It's heavy, physically difficult to play and it brings back bad memories.  But, every once in a while, he pulls it out and plays at a family gathering and immediately the mood is lifted.  He even played at my sister's wedding.  He played a special polka version of Hey Jude by the Beatles.  Anyway, twice a year, he's asked by the local retirement home to play some oldies.  He never refuses even though he doesn't want to do it.  I don't brag on Guitar Man much, but he is great with senior citizens.  He knows their music and cultural references of their youth.  They love him.  This is a sacrifice for him.  He does it with style and grace and I am so proud of him.

Excuse the blurriness of the pictures, our camera is not working properly- we are getting iphones in a few weeks- YAY!

Seven Quick Takes- Goal Weight Edition!!

I made my goal weight in Weight Watchers this week- YAY!!!  They give you a range to and I picked the highest weight as my goal.  I think some more weight will come off as I keep up this new lifestyle- maybe 5 more pounds.  We'll see.  Here are the top 7 ways I lost 20 pounds.  

-1-

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

I haven't been perfect, but in general, I follow this diet.  Basically, no processed or fast food, potato, and tomato.  Lots of mushrooms and fish.  I've also taken out  dairy and grains.  I make lots of Paleo recipes.  Wellness Mama is my favorite.  Not one of her recipes has failed me. 

-2-

Sleeping

I'm trying to get better sleep.  I'm not perfect about getting 8 hours, but that is my goal.  I probably get more like 7 each night.  

-3-

Exercise

I take 2 15 minute walks a day.  One is at lunchtime.  The other is after school.  I also do 20 minutes of hard cardio like swimming or running during the week.  I added this when a YMCA satellite location opened at a school one block from my house.  It literally takes me 2 minutes to run there from my house.  What a blessing!  On the weekend I do an hour long run.  Again, this doesn't happen perfectly everyday, but it's a goal.  I want to add some yoga stretches and weights for about 10 minutes in the morning, but haven't been able to squeeze them in yet.  

-4-

Going to a meeting every week

Food has been a life long addiction for me and facing it every week helped me chip away at bad habits and face the fact that I have a disordered attachment to food.

-5-

My leader

She is super encouraging and positive.  

-6-

My friend J

We go together.  She has some more weight to lose and I'll be going each week with her until she reaches goal. 

-7-

Learning not to be so hard on myself

This could be a post in and of itself.  But, by going every week, I had to fact the fact that I was so hard on myself that I didn't want to face the scale.  I was equating my worth with the number that is on the scale.  I've always had a hard time reconciling the fact that God didn't want me to be the weight I was, but he still loved me no matter what weight I was.  My all or nothing brain took a long time to wrap it's head around the fact that both could be going on at once.  I'm still working on it though.  Just like I'm working on the sleep and exercise and the anti-inflammatory diet.  It's a work in progress.  

If you told me a year ago that this is how I would lose the weight or that it would take a year, I would have laughed.  I never in a million years thought I'd find an hour a day to exercise or be eating such a limited diet.    I always hated walking.  People really can change.  I pray that He guides me through the next phase of maintaining these wonderful habits.  God is good!  God Bless you tonight.  

Thank you from the bottom of my heart

Your prayers were felt!  For many reasons, I became burned out last week.

1)  Practicing for two weeks during lunch and after school for this:

It was the annual talent show at our school and the teachers always do an act.  If you watch (I don't expect you to!!), I'm second from left with hot pink boa.  We had a blast practicing.  Dancing is totally out of my comfort zone and I need my lunch time to be by myself.  In those fun personality tests, I always come out 50/50 introvert/extrovert so I have to be really careful to take time by myself.

2)  Meeting after meeting after school and before school.

3) AJ had a bad dentist appointment- he has 3 cavities in permanent teeth.  The child has a history of bad teeth and has had extensive work done on his baby teeth.  I've mentioned before that he had developmental delays as a younger child and this is a direct result of them.  He's got sensory issues with his mouth, low tone in his tongue and would not eat when he was born.  We had to have a feeding specialist come to the house for 2 years to help us learn how to feed him.  Even with that help, his diet is very limited and he's not getting proper nutrition.  Of course the doctor thinks he's fine because he's a good weight, his blood work is normal and he's generally healthy.  But, IMHO, he's missing key nutrients from foods like vegetables and meat and that has to impact his oral health.   He also has motor planning issues (he has to be specifically taught any complex motor task with great repetition).  Last time we saw the dentist, he recommended an electric tooth brush.  I never explicitly taught AJ to use it and don't check on him while he's brushing.  Big mistake.  He hasn't been brushing well.  Okay, I'll stop about that one...

4)  My main meal that I was going to eat throughout the week was a total FAIL so I didn't have a plan for several dinners.

I started eating fast food to compensate for my feelings of frustration and that is definitely NOT on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet.  This burn out feeling is new because it's always been buried under the crushing fatigue.  After I was able to identify what was happening (which took 3 or 4 days) and ask for help, it got better.  I went to Adoration for 15 minutes, slept in for a few days and just generally took off doing much around the house for the rest of the week.  By Saturday it was better.  I had to cancel a few plans for the weekend which always makes me anxious, but I got over it.

Sorry for the boring post- it's cathartic to write it all out.

Thank you again for your prayers!  You all are in mine each and every day!

May God Bless You!

Lenten struggles- Prayers please

It happens every Lent.  I'm not sure if I'm under attack or it's just the time of year.  My Lenten practices are a total FAIL and I'm giving into temptation left and right- especially with food.  Can you please send up a simple prayer for me?  It's hard for me ask this!  Maybe that's the devil too.
God Bless you and thank you in advance.
St. Michael, pray for us!