September Highlights

September was busy busy busy for us! Not only did school start again for Jillian, but most of our other activities started as well. Trying to get in the swing of things while keeping up with carb-cycling wasn't easy, but I feel like by the end of the month, I got the hang of it. Lots of good stuff going on in our world :)

{Jillian started preschool the first day of the month! Even though she has all new classmates, she seems to enjoy school very much :)}

{David took a selfie while Mama worked on stuff at the church. Since my screen is locked, he can only access the camera. I have several pictures of the floor/floor + his foot! HAHAHA}

{Jillian dressed herself and wanted to wear her shirt backwards. I'm picking my battles, so she can wear her shirt backwards anytime!}

{I created a new look for a bulletin board at church for the youth! It's a work in progress, and not as easy as it looks. I'm very impressed with teachers who have amazing bulletin boards!}

{Phil got a brand new phone because his old one had a million cracks in it. He was getting glass splinters :( Jillian decided to fix the old one with her play doh! How sweet ;)}

{Jillian and her daddy had a campout in our living room to celebrate the first full week of school!}

{She had a blast! David enjoyed playing in it too :)}

{I was really craving Chinese food for my free day one Sunday. Unfortunately, some of my choices were making me sick. We took a family day trip to the Asian market, and made our own General Tso's chicken! The chicken was baked, so my stomach loved it as much as my tongue!}

{Over Labor Day, we decided to finally organize our garage! With the help of Phil's brother, it went from this...}

{to this! So far we've kept it clean. And yes, both cars fit in there.}

{A friend from church started a book club for this book. I bought in on Amazon, and I really enjoyed it! Having a book club is really fun, so we're trying to come up with ways to hang out when we've run out of book to discuss}

{I got my hair refreshed, and feeling good!}

{I don't get enough time with this guy. I really do love him, and I love getting to do life with him :)}

{I told Phil that I wished our kids could have the video store experience that we did as kids at Blockbuster. He reminded me that there is a video store still open near our house. We drove over, signed up for membership, and have started doing Family Movie Nights! On payday, we will go to the store, pick out videos and snacks, put on pjs, and lay on sleeping bags and pillows to watch a movie together. It's nothing big or fancy, but something I want to do! Hopefully we can continue the tradition and the kids continue to enjoy it :) We of course started the inaugural one with a Mickey Mouse Movie ;)}

{Jillian made me a bead necklace and asked me to wear it. I was happy to oblige!}

{This is from school. Jillian is getting so good at coloring, and she really enjoys art!}

{David searched all morning for the perfect spot to eat his waffles. He decided right in front of the fridge would do :)}

{Round 2 of blood work}
{The first round was for my primary care physician. He wanted to check several things in my blood, but I had to be off Metformin for a full month before I could. I was only able to conceive and carry both Jillian and David by taking Metformin for my PCOS. However, my body is starting to regulate sugar on its own again. Overall, my bloodwork came back great, and the doctor is pleased with my weight loss. He is hopeful I can conceive and carry more children without Metformin, but told us to give it until January before asking for help. This picture was for a progesterone test with my OBGYN. Basically, Phil and I will be trying for a few months for Baby #3 without Metformin. I may or may not need help, but so far it seems like I'll need help with progesterone for sure. Having regular(ish) cycles and signs of ovulation without Metformin are good signs. We'll just have to be patient for now :)}

{We all went to a football game to support some of the high schoolers at church! We had a good time until...}

{Davey fell on some concrete :( Poor guy was really bruised and scraped! He was having a good time up until then though. A little popcorn calmed him down, and we stayed until the 3rd Quarter}

{The next day looked a little worse. Luckily, he healed within a few days}

{I got our fall decorations down from the attic. Jillian and David both started pulling apart my fall wreath, and scattering the fake spiders all over the house. Tis the season I guess!}

{We were invited to the ground breaking ceremony for Jillian's hearing clinic! We are so excited for them to get this amazing facility so that they can help so many others! I also loved that they incorporated faith into the majority of the ceremony}

{Breaking ground!}

{They let us sign a beam that will go in the building. Jillian wrote her (big) name all by herself!}

{I'm sure this was their favorite part of the night!}

{Jillian got her face painted like a Ninja Turtle! (She's really into the old 80's cartoon TMNT that Phil and I would watch as kids) She loved her make up!}

{She couldn't wait to show daddy!}

{These are some of my kids at church! We built a Tower of Babel out of grapes and toothpicks. I love these crazy kids, and our Wednesday nights together :)}

Like I said, it was pretty full, but we definitely had some good times. I'm sure it will only get busier from here!

Carb-Cycling Update 2 {2 Month Progress}

Month 2 of carb-cycling was successful! No pictures this time, but next month is my 90 day check in. Expect pictures for that one :)

The Breakdown:- I am currently doing the Turbo Cycle from Chris Powell's book, Choose More, Lose More for Life. This specific cycle may or may not change in the future. We will see- Still not working out yet. Trying to figure that all out
- I am taking vitamins and calcium supplement everyday

Struggles:- Having to go to multiple grocery stores. (or purchase online), to get what I need to be successful. It's more annoying than anything really- Being around treats when it's not my free day. I can say no, but it's hard when I just want to do what everyone else is doing- Feeling like I need to start at least doing toning exercises, but not really knowing where to start. No money for a gym, so that'll be a factor too
- My guilt free meals are starting to upset my stomach a little. After eating well for long enough, my body isn't sure what to do with greasy fast food anymore. Had to get creative with my cravings this month!

What's Been Easy:- I still love the structured plan.- My guilt-free reward day is always great!
- I feel like more of my close friends and family are used to what I'm doing, so I get less questions. Not that I mind talking about it, I just feel awkward sometimes.

Non-Scale Victories (NSV):- I can put on and take off my size 18 pants without unzipping or unbuttoning them!
- I can drink 1 gallon of water a day without a second thought. Drinking less makes me feel dehydrated
- Staying on plan despite an active schedule- Wedding ring is getting less tight on my finger
- Others are starting to notice changes!- Getting great support from my parents, as well as my husband :)

The Nitty-Gritty Numbers:
{Starting Weight} - 225.8{Current Weight} - 203.8

Inches Lost - 7" Overall
Most Inches Lost - 2" in waist

Overall, I would say it has been a successful month! Next check in will be my 90 day weigh-in where I wanted to hit 200 pounds as the goal. I'm confident I'll hit it!

That Feeling In Church

I'm so thankful it's fall! I love this time of year :) I'm hoping to make a new wreath for our front door, but we'll see when I have time.

Wednesdays and Thursdays are going to be extra long days for us. Once everything is in full swing, (I'm just missing Handbell practice for now), we will be at church from 5-8:30 pm Wednesdays, and 6-9 pm on Thursdays. This doesn't include the 25-30 minute commute to/from our house, plus Jillian has preschool both of those mornings. I try not to schedule any doctors' appointments or anything if I can help it, but that doesn't always work out. Don't get me wrong, I love this! I'm not sure I'd know what to do if we weren't this busy. And despite Jillian throwing a fit about not wanting to go home while David runs down the hall as fast as he can so he doesn't have to go to the car, (and trust me, he's fast!), I'm secretly glad they are so happy at church. I'm glad it's a place they don't want to leave. I'm glad they are comfortable there :)

I had a conversation with my friend, Angie, the other day. She made a comment about how someone once told her that they felt like the only broken person at our church. That they are the only one with issues, and that these perfect people attend a perfect church and they are the black sheep. While a part of me laughed because I know our church is far from perfect, it really got me thinking. I can see where they came up with that idea. Most people I know, at our church and other churches across the world, don't mention what they did wrong that week. Most of us go, and don't bring up what our struggles have been or why we are in desperate need of Jesus. Then I wondered about myself.

Growing up as a pastor's kid, or PK, is a completely different experience than any other child at the church. Even if your parents are well-intentioned, and do their best to give you a "normal experience," it will still be different. This is not necessarily a bad thing. One positive thing it instilled in me is the importance of church family. Having a relationship with those you worship next to is very important. In every church family I've had throughout my life, I do have those whom I trust with my brokenness. There are a few people in my church family who know that extent of me. When I come in on Sunday morning, it is not my intention to deceive anyone else at church. I'm not a walking band-aid! Instead, my thought is, "Jesus loves me despite myself, these people love me despite myself, so let's take a deep breath, give a sigh of relief, and worship God!" That's what I experience every time I walk through those doors for worship.

I'm not sure if I can personally remedy that person's perception of our church. I just know that I am now more aware of my actions and words, and I hope that will ease some of that in some way :)

Happy Fall, Y'all!

David's First Haircut

On July 11th, David got his first haircut! I waited as long as I could because I didn't want him to lose those precious curls. I know he's a boy and all, but they are adorable! Anyways, Phil and his dad kept asking when we were getting his haircut, so I finally caved. My hair appointment before I left on the mission trip was a great time to do it. Of course, I had to take a few pictures of him before we left for the salon!

{The view from the back}

{David's curls look a lot like my brother's when he was a toddler}

{That sweet face! He's my little cherub baby <3}

My MIL met us at the salon, and was kind enough to take pictures for us! I got my color in to set, and then Miss Sarah was ready for David. I came prepared, and he did well for the most part! I was told he did very well, but he had a few freak-out moments. {There may have also been a small sucker-in-the-hair moment as well.} All in all, Miss Sarah did a great job with his hair, and David did well for a first time! And the best part is his hair still has some curl to it :)

{Not a big fan of the spray, even though it's just water}

{Checking out Miss Sarah to make sure she's not up to something ;)}

{Sucker in each hand. He was relatively calm here!}

{Almost done}

{His sweet baby curls}
{I didn't keep them because I didn't keep Jillian's}

{The finished product! He looks happy, no?}

{Sweet boy! It was a little harder leaving him for my mission trip because he looked like such a big boy :'(}

I didn't get a video of him, but these pictures will suffice. Plus, it would mostly be of him yelling out every 2 minutes, and shaking his head no. Plus, I have the memory of it ;) 

It's so funny to me because he just does not enjoy it at all. However, Jillian adores getting her hair cut! She is always ready to jump in the seat and get a trim. I think we have a diva on our hands! You can read about Jillian's first haircut here.

Jillian's First Day of 3 Day Preschool

Jillian is thrilled to be back in preschool! She has a new teacher, and a brand new class, and she did great on her first day!

She is the oldest kid in her class, which is for the best I think. She has been the youngest in any class or program we've put her in thus far. It'll be a good experience for her to experience being the older one. It does make me sad that none of her friends from class last year are in her class this year. She has no issues making friends, but it may make the adjustment just a tad harder than normal.

We are at the same preschool as last year, which is run by the church we attend! She is familiar with the building, and is very comfortable being there. Plus, we feel like it's a great school! Her teachers are great, and they have already done a few things in an effort to help with her hearing loss. As a mother, I very much appreciate that!

Jillian does well with drop off, but she is a tad weepy most days in class. Her initial response to anything is to cry. That means she usually gets time out at least once every day. However, her teacher is already reporting a difference in her ability to calm down, as well as follow directions the first time. {Something we are certainly working on diligently at home!}

Overall, she is very happy and is enjoying school. I pray that we can continue to foster that love of learning for most of her life :)

Here are some outtakes of our little miss on her first day of preschool! No pictures with the parents because she was ready to get inside and get going!

{Still a little sleepy}

{Her big smile that I asked for ;)}

{Cheeeeeeeese}

{David wanted in the picture too!}

{Right after this was taken, a fight started. Oh sibling love...}

{This conversation really took place}
{Me: Jillian, can I take your picture outside the sign?}
{J: Umm, maybe after school.}
{Me: Oh please Jillian? It will be real fast!}
{J: (half-heartedly) Alllllright}

{Me: Jillian, look at the camera and smile!}
{This is the resulting picture HAHAHA}

And a comparison of last year. She looks so grown up!

Onward

In full disclosure, after my last post, I stopped working out. Now, it's not because it was too hard, or I didn't have enough time. It was because I was starting to gain weight. I was eating back about half the calories I burned, (because I couldn't decide if I needed to at all), and I was working out twice a day. Whether I was pushing too hard or what, I decided to just forgo the strict workout regimen and focus on food. I am proud to say that I am down nearly 20 pounds, so I'm pretty satisfied :)

Also, Jillian started preschool! I'll save that for another day.

There is one final thing that happened I have no mentioned yet. {Not a pregnancy announcement} After the initial news, I wanted more information before I started going public with it. Here it goes...

Dear friends, Jillian's hearing loss has changed. Basically, her left ear has been compensating for her right ear so well, (I mean, she hears AMAZINGLY well in her left!), we were not able to truly see the level of loss in her right ear until her last booth test in August. They were able to do background noise in her left ear, while doing the "beep beep beep" sounds in her right. We always knew she had moderate to severe loss, but it is actually to the point where it is considered profound. She is not completely deaf in that ear, but it's the step above complete loss. That was hard to hear, even though I knew it was unlikely to stay moderate to severe her whole life.

Which brings me to this. Due to new research out, if she were born this year with the exact diagnosis she had at birth, the hearing clinic would recommend some type of hardware, (meaning either hearing aids or a cochlear implant depending.) Due to the fact that her loss is now considered profound, she would benefit most from a cochlear implant. I had read research before that suggested she would need some type of hardware eventually, so I was already prepared for that. Phil and I prayed, and discussed it with a few trusted consultants, and decided we want to move forward to give Jillian the best quality of life she can.

Now, don't get me wrong. We are well aware of how smart and verbal she is. Most people close to us forget that she has loss at all. And just try to tell Jillian is has a problem hearing. She would laugh in your face! She is an incredible little girl, and hearing loss is not an end of the world diagnosis. It's not as scary as cancer, or as debilitating as other things children have to live with every day. It is still a big deal to our family. It still affects us on a daily basis. It is still something I want to make sure Jillian never feels held back by. I want to give her the world, and I want her to believe she can have it. This device would help with things we take for granted. Things like, talking to your friends in a crowded lunch room at school, getting directions from your passenger in the car, and hearing a teacher's instructions during a fire drill. These are things that are, and will be, challenging for Jillian.

Phil and I met with Jillian's audiologist and speech pathologist yesterday. They gave us the bottom line. This would benefit Jillian in many ways, and this would be the time to do it.* However, most insurance companies will not cover a single cochlear implant, and therefore not many surgeons, including Jillian's, are able or willing to do the surgery. The out-of-pocket cost is outrageous. So, we are in a small group of people at this hearing clinic in a strange boat. We have a need, and a solution, but have no easy way to get from point A to point B. The clinic is working with us to come up with solutions, but it will be a long, yet quick road. Long because we're going to have to be vigilant and constantly advocating for Jillian, but quick because we only really have a full calendar year before this window will close.

*The window of time I keep talking about basically boils down to this: Jillian's brain is still , for lack of a better word, pliable. If she had this surgery, her recovery time would be quick, and her brain would have less challenges to rewire itself as it learns to hear with an ear that has never used those nerves to hear before. If we wait too long, we risk not only her not being able to adjust, but her brain would have a harder time. She would then most likely not use the technology, and therefore waste time and money on this procedure. That is why we only have until she's 5 at the latest to do this surgery.

I did leave the appointment feeling at peace. I really struggled with the idea of this surgery for Jillian because I wanted this to be for her and not me. I wanted to make sure this is the right decision. After our meeting, I knew deep in my heart that this is the way to go. Now we just have to figure out how to get there.

It makes me so mad that the research is there, and it's the exact same surgery they do for children who need it in two ears. Yet, they can't seem to agree to do this. I mean, if you were blind in one eye, would you just let the insurance company tell you they won't help you medically because you can see well enough with the one eye that you will live a relatively normal life? Of course not! So why is it that way with hearing? If the technology is there, and the research backs it up, why not?!

One of the options we may have, (it's not set in stone yet), is a trial through a medical clinic. It's not experimental, but it's considered a trial because it's not FDA approved yet. This would not only help Jillian, but potentially help other kids in her situation in the future. We're waiting to hear if that is an option or not.

So the next year is going to be hard, and interesting. We've got a few things in mind to get the ball rolling, but for now it's a waiting game. We always appreciate prayers, and positive vibes! We have a great support system, and know that whatever outcome happens, it's going to be ok :)

Bravely onward!

August Highlights

August was the last full month of summer for us. Jillian starts school on September 1st, so we had to squeeze in as much summer fun as possible! Here are the highlights :)

{I did really well sticking to my carb-cycling diet! This was my attempt at a cauliflower pizza. I found a recipe that you were supposed to be able to pick up with your hands. Sadly, my pizza was too soggy. I don't know if I just didn't get enough water out or what. It was pretty tasty anyways!}

{My sweet girl enjoying the weather in the backyard. Her allergies have gotten much better, but we still have to do certain things to keep them at bay. I'm just thankful it's nowhere near what it was in summer of 2013}

{Headed to WI to see my folks! It usually takes two full days of driving. We have to stop every 2ish hours, (especially with Jillian being iffy about potty training still), and David even got sick at one point. We tried leaving at 5 am the first day thinking the kids would sleep for at least an hour or so. David didn't go to sleep and got car sick from an empty stomach. Learned our lesson!}

{These are the greatest things ever! We got them at a rest stop in Iowa, and they saved our sanity! They come with 4 pages that you "color", (it's just water), and when they dry, you can color it again! Best $5 a piece I've ever spent!}

{I never take enough pictures with my folks, but I took a few during our fun trip together! We stopped at a farm that had several attractions, and we got Jillian to pose for us!}

{They both loved the animals, (especially the goats), and the tiny buildings they were allowed to climb all over. It was a great little farm to visit!}

{David and Gee-Chaz having a harmonica jam session ;) This was one of the last days we were there. We always have a great time with Jemma and Gee-Chaz!}

{Back home recovering. I just love my babies' feet! I take more pictures than I should of their precious feet.}

{This is one of my favorite "treats" that are on plan with carb-cycling! It sounds like it wouldn't taste good, but I think it's delicious! Bonus, it doesn't make my stomach hurt like regular ice cream}

{Poor guy got sick for a little bit. Feverish for 2 days, but was over it after that :)}

{To give her a break for the sickies, Phil took Jillian to Sonic for a treat and fresh air. She LOVED time with her daddy, and getting to sit in the front seat with him to eat her hot dog. She looks like a teenager to me!}

{Got the Save the Date card for my bro's wedding this spring! Can't wait to have Julia officially join the family! She's the best :)}

{Summer nights are perfect for early bedtimes, and a little porch sitting with my hubby. The weather was gorgeous, and the beer was refreshing :)}

{I participated in the blood drive at church this year! I usually don't, and the last time I donated with this particular bank, I was in high school. Pretty sure my email isn't CAdiva04 anymore!}

{I love taking selfies with this guy! He makes my heart melt with his smile}

{We finished a puzzle Phil bought at a railway museum in WI. Jillian thought she was in the picture Phil was taking, so I had to take I picture of her pose ;)}