Testing

So... today I ate some dairy. It's been right around 3 weeks since I had any (well, aside from the accidental chicken nugget). I'm waiting for the rash and general fussiness. If they happen, I'll continue to stay away from dairy. If they don't, I'll eat it in moderation for the next week, then go back to my regular diet.

So, I told one of my friends that I was going to drink a glass of milk and she suggested that I be more creative and maybe have some ice cream. Well... I decided that since I've been starving for the past few weeks, I needed to have some real food. So I chose some of the fresh three cheese tortellinis that you can buy in the refrigerated sections. Yum. They were really good. I did take a spoonful of some ice cream, but I didn't want to overdo.

So I'll keep you posted on her reaction. Given that I'm continuing to lose weight, I'm hoping that this doesn't bother her and I can get back to my cheese and sour cream.

Hallelujah

After weeks of caring for a sweet, but fussy baby, this feels glorious and well earned.

Rain in Fair Austin

We are having a bit of a storm tonight. If I wasn't so busy while it was lightening, I would have gone out on the porch to watch. Summer thunder and lightening storms were always my favorite weather in NC. I loved to sit out on the porch and enjoy mother nature at her finest. I didn't hear any thunder here, though. But it's still raining pretty hard, so maybe I should go out and take a few moments to breathe and relax. Something that has been eluding me for the past week and a half... wait... make that the past year. :)

UPDATE: Three minutes later... must be why I like SUMMER storms. It's freaking freezing out there! Guess I'll have to find my refuge somewhere else.

Or Just Very, Very Tired...

So my last post was a bit weird. I read it again today and thought, "Did I write that?"

I think the lost sleep is finally catching up to me. I haven't been napping much lately and with all the moving and packing and unpacking and having a baby!, I think I've finally developed a good case of the "I'm pooped"s.

What I was trying to say in my last post is that I find myself not handling change very well... and I interpret that as a sign that I'm getting old.

But I think it may have a little more to do with the fact that I'm tired. Really tired.

But, life goes on.

The kids start school tomorrow. Reid is going to the local middle school. Zach and Cole are enrolled at a local charter school, and Jacob is going to go to a start up Sudbury School for the next two weeks until a spot opens up for him at the charter school after the Christmas break. A little complicated, but only for a couple of weeks. Then the three kids will all be in the same school. That should be nice. And a couple of different people in the neighborhood have been surprised that we could get into the charter school. Apparently a lot of people try to get in and don't. So we feel blessed yet again.

So tomorrow I will be home most of the day alone with Kira. I think that may be the first time that will happen since she was born. Hopefully she won't freak out too much.

Oh... and on the allergy front, she's been doing better. That is until last night when I ate two chicken nuggets that Cole had left over from his kid's meal... Kira was up during the night and screamed for a good portion of today. The rash on her face also came back a bit. The nuggets have both egg and milk in them according to Wendy's nutritional information, so I still don't know if it's the milk, eggs, or both. But I think it's safe to say that it's definitely something.

I'm starving most of the time. I can eat a whole meal and still feel hungry. I ate large portions of kielbasa sausage, fried potatoes, and green beans for dinner and was still starving. Then I ate a huge apple that I sliced up and dipped in a massive pile of peanut butter. Nope, still starving. I guess my body wants its dairy fat. Being hungry all the time is really no fun. But it's funner than a baby that screams all day.

Anyway. It's good to be back to the blogging world. I'll have some pictures up of our place and the fam soon.

I'm Old...

Okay.  So here we are in Austin.  I'm struggling with all the new things to adjust to.  I didn't like the grocery store here that I went to last night.  I forgot a couple of things on my list because I was feeling flustered there.

And getting the registrations done for the kids at school caused me much stress.

I think I'm just used to my old places and people and I'm finding it difficult to adjust.

I'm thinking that the exhaustion of the past few months, the fact that I have a 6 week old baby, and just crazy life has made all of this adjustment harder to deal with.

But it's not all bad.  The kids have a couple of neighborhood friends already and one of the kid's in Cole's school classroom is a kid he already met at church on Sunday.

Okay.  Kira is ready for her mom...

Moving Eve

Okay, so that title doesn't make sense, but it's the day before the move.  We packed up most of our stuff in the truck last night.  Thankfully, it looks as if everything will fit.  Kudos to the guys from church who really know how to pack a truck!

The boys (I can't say kids anymore) are all at sleepovers.  It's their final hang out time here.  I spent the evening home alone with Kira trying to pack up the last stuff.  Needless to say, the swing I borrowed from a friend was a lifesaver.  Kira was in the swing for about three hours.  So I was able to get a lot done.  And she's sleeping in the swing again now, so I'm continuing to get things done.

So... just wanted to let you know how things were going.  James and Dad are on their way here from Atlanta this morning.  They got a little lost in Atlanta last night.  Hopefully they're not too stressed out when they get here.  It's so amazing of them to drive all the way here just to help us load up and then drive all the way back.  They rock.

Okay.  Ladies from church will be here in about 30 minutes, so I better get some more stuff done so they can actually do the cleaning like they plan to.  (Lovin' the Ladies!)

Wisdom

I thought I'd share an email that I got from my mom just now:

I know that you are overwhelmed with things today, but just pause a moment and look around. You are so blessed!

Mike - the loving, LOVING husband and father, good provider and your true soul mate;
Reid - a really good kid and good looking to boot;
Zach - a caring, challenging pre-teen with lots of love in his heart;
Jacob - the 'tall, dark, handsome' gentle little man with lots of caring;
Cole - the biggest little man around, with love and insight;
Kira - a blessing from above that 'binds the hearts of her family';
Kory - the silent keeper of the house.

No item(s) are more important than the love of the family. The move is a challenge but your love and patience is the part that will make the move a fun remembrance. Just keep in mind that the 'things' are part of your life, but nothing like the love of the family. Keep in mind that this can be a fun time; don't get to caught up on the little things to where you miss the big things that are fun.

I love you and think of you every moment.

Your Mom

Thanks, Mom. I needed that.