We're into 2012 only 5 days today, and I believe it's going to be a good year. Here's a few good things:
1) Kevin has woke up every morning and made breakfast for all of us! Nothing like waking up and smelling breakfast cooking and a fresh pot of coffee brewing!!
2) Kevin and I have each worked out four days in a row. I did yoga last night. It is one of my favorite (and if I do P90X yoga, hardest) workout routines because it requires you to be patient even as you workout, to push through challenging poses and patterns, and to breathe into every part of your body. The day after yoga always feels so good! For example, today I feel straighter, taller, and stronger -- not stronger like I could lift heavier weight, but stronger as in each of my muscles is "engaged and supporting" my frame today. What a good, balanced feeling!
3) My whole family is consuming good nutritious food. My body feels like it's gone through a detox as I've cut out all the fun treats I imbibed over the holidays and given it a balanced diet again!
4) I was asked to cover a case in Blaine, where I worked for seven years. That was a nice compliment, and it was great to see everyone!
5) The boys are enjoying being back in school.
6) Kate and Eli LOVE being home with Daddy, and Daddy is taking advantage of the opportunity!
7) Kate's skin is clearing, her breathing is less wheezy, and she's sleeping through the night.*
*Kate has suffered from a pretty severe skin rash over the last year. We knew she was at least lactose intolerant, but we were also certain she was allergic to more. She would wake in the middle of the night, crying and itching. She had blotches all over that would over burn and bleed. We took her off all dairy the last week of December, and her skin is slowly but surely clearing.
We also learned (after a much anticipated appointment with an allergist) that Kate is asthmatic. She was on a steroid for the last 5 days and is now taking a daily and an incidental inhaler treatment, and the effect is amazing!! For example, when we went sledding January 2, Kate was up and down the hill, climbing, running, laughing, and, quite notably, never tiring. She loved it! (Prior to the asthma treatment, she would likely have gone down once or twice and tired of the climb back up -- because she probably couldn't breathe well.) Another example of the effect is that she's sleeping through the night. Prior to the treatment, once she was in a deep sleep, her body struggled to breathe, and she would wake up extremely panicky. And of course, she wasn't able to describe the symptoms to us in her sleepy, panicked state. (We thought she was having an allergic reaction to something. The doctor keyed us in to the impact of untreated asthma during deep sleep.)
Kate will be tested for other allergies in the near future. The doctor is concerned that she might also be allergic to eggs, peanut butter, possibly grain. We're keeping our fingers crossed that if she is allergic to more we are able to tailer her diet or environment to prevent reaction.
Happy Thursday!!
