Merry Christmas 2010!

I have inadvertently taken a bloggy break - the busyness of life (and 3 active kids) has kept me running. I am truly understanding first hand the meaning of the words "mom's taxi."

But this week, we have slowed down. We have stayed in our PJ's and watched movies. We have baked cookies and popped popcorn. We have spent time together as a family, just the 5 of us (the dog makes 6), and we have loved every single second of it.

So I'll be back in 2011 with more random and hopefully a bit of wisdom and humor thrown in. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Halloweeeeen!!!

Around here, Halloween is more of a reason to hang out with neighbors and walk around the neighborhood socializing than a time for scary and gore. We keep it low key and more of a "Fall Celebration" than anything else.

Except for the costumes. All 3 of my girls see Halloween very differently. Camille really doesn't care what she dresses as, and will change her mind 412 times before actually stepping outside to trick-or-treat. Tait decides the day after Halloween what she wants to be the next year and doesn't budge from that decision. Mary Emma, however, is in another league. She always has been. She decides what she wants to be, draws pictures complete with instructions, arrows, and map keys, and strategizes about how and when we need to start getting her dressed to maximize trick-or-treat time. She has pictures drawn on the back of her bedroom door planning her costumes till 2018. It's my "job" to fulfill a vision that is in her head. And we have a BALL doing it.

This year, Camille was a black cat, Tait was Dorothy, and Mary Emma was Elphaba (the green witch from Wicked). My sister-in-law is in the 2nd National Tour of Wicked, so we're a little obsessed with the Land of Oz around here right now.






I hope you had a successful Halloween full of Milk Duds and miniature 100 Grands. I actually read on the Twitter that someone was pilfering through her child's Halloween stash and found a REGULAR SIZED 100 Grand. I do believe the Lord smiled upon her household in that very moment.

And now, on to Thanksgiving. Which is my personal favorite. :)

I'm Not A Fan Of The Scary

Tonight after dance class, the kids and I went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants for dinner. And yes, I said "one of our favorite" - we have many. I'm pretty sure my little family would fare well in the heart of Texas with all its tacos and queso and salsa goodness. I just need to teach Mary Emma that "chicken fingers" does not equal Mexican food.

When we walked in, we saw three life-sized zombie mannequins sitting in chairs. The restaurant was full of spider webs and skeletons and all the Halloween paraphernalia, so the zombie guys didn't get much attention.



However, I didn't know one little detail about the zombie guys.

The one on the left was real. And he jumped at me. And I almost LAID. HIM. FLAT. The kids were surprisingly not scared (they didn't witness the jumping at me) and actually shook his hand (he was VERY gentle with the kids).

But I'm not sure when my heart rate will return to normal or the blood will reenter my face.

Stupid Halloween.

Well, Lookie Here.

Yesterday was my birthday. And apparently the folks at the BCS love me, because this is what I got for my birthday.



How 'bout THAT?!

Now I know it might not last. Especially since the top ranked team has LOST for the past 3 weekends, and since we have 3 SEC games left to play (including Alabama...boo hiss!). But right now, I'm gonna ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

WAR EAGLE!

Ramblings....

I thought that having all 3 kids in school would allow me to have a little more free time, but I WAS WRONG. Camille goes to school 3 days a week from 9-1 and I'm pretty sure time is sped up during those precious 4 hours so that they seem like a blur. And apparently laundry doesn't wash, fold, and put itself away, and my kids are TRUE GIRLS and love to change clothes once or eleven times a day. Not to mention the abundance of red dirt covered softball clothes that frequent my hampers... (cue banging head on wall)

So, due to sheer insanity and busyness, here are a few things (in list form. Booya.) that I think you should know about...

1. My church just released a CD of original music. It's GOOD. And in keeping with the Radical theme, ZERO church budget dollars were spent on the making of this CD. There are also chord charts, lead sheets, lyrics, etc. for each song that are available for anyone to download - they are SERIOUS about making these songs available for churches and groups to use to worship. It's all about Him - praising Him and worshipping HIM - not about making profits and keeping songs tied up in copyright restrictions that keep groups from being able to use them.



2. We have a new addition to our family - a precious little ShihTzu named Piper. She has been a JOY and the girls are absolutely in love with her. The other day, Mary Emma taught her a trick, which has cracked us all up. Here's the video.

Piper Saying Please from Robyn Davidson on Vimeo.

3. Weight loss update - I have now been working with my trainer, Beth, as well as working a LOT by myself and have lost 32 lbs. I'm pleased with those results even though the impatient me wants that number to be doubled. There are some things about losing weight (I mean losing a LOT of weight) that I wasn't either ready for or didn't realize would be such an issue. First, losing weight is EMOTIONAL. Because in order to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF, you have to face why you gained it in the first place. Hello, cry fest. But I'm working through some stuff, and I plan on reaching my goal and STAYING THERE. Second, I didn't realize how important a support system is. My husband is fantastic and is on this journey with me (stupid butt has lost 54 lbs. - and of course I'm kidding, but WHY can't girls lose weight like boys?? - he looks amazing and I'm so proud of him!). Your comments mean the WORLD to me. And even though a trainer is expensive, Beth has become a great friend and an even bigger encourager. She is helping save my life. Literally. While at the same time she is kicking my behind all over the gym twice a week. I'm in pain today from the workout yesterday. And I'm oddly loving that. :)

4. HOW BOUT THEM AUBURN TIGERS????? War Eagle! I was so glad they played La Monroe last weekend and won by 50 points. These last minute nail biters are killing me. I just really REALLY need someone to beat Alabama. South Carolina, it's your turn. Please take care of business this weekend.

5. This post by Vicki Courtney had me nodding my head and clapping my hands. PREACH, sister.

6. I got some new kicks this week. Apparently the old me could hang on to tennis shoes for ever. But the new, running, gym rat me can wreck a pair of tennis shoes. I got these.

And since the whole Facebook "I like" status has taken Breast Cancer awareness to a tasteless level, I'm glad a portion of the price of these shoes go to Breast Cancer research.

That's all. Have an awesome day. Enjoy the weather - it's GORGEOUS in Birmingham!

The Story of Tait - Part 3

First, if you haven't read Part 1 or Part 2, go here and here.

Now you're caught up.

I have been trying to write part 3 for a while now. But I have some pretty strong emotions tied to it that have caused me to be a blubbering mess while writing it. This part has been hard. Because not only did we learn some pretty scary stuff about Tait, but I also saw God move in a way that I have never seen Him move before. I literally watched as prayers were answered in front of my eyes. And THAT, girlfriend, left me slack-jawed.

So here we go.

Every mom knows every square inch of their baby's body. They know about the freckle between their toes or the birthmark behind their ear. They know how to make a cowlick lay down and can tell you birth dates, birth weights, and shoe size of every one of their children. Because of Tait's ultrasounds, I can now recognize her INSIDES. :) I can now watch as the ultrasound tech rubs the wand across her belly and back and know exactly what I'm looking at. I will also be able to know when something's wrong. Just like I did the first time they zeroed in on her right kidney.

Meanwhile, Spencer and I were at the HEIGHT of conflict about where to move when we came back to Alabama. There were a LOT of tears. There were a LOT of harsh words spoken. There were a LOT of prayers. I was questioning everything - my marriage, my faith, my ability to mother this child who was sick, my ability to mother my other child who wasn't sick... It was a rough time. If we were going to move back to Alabama, I wanted to move to Birmingham. It's a great city with amazing little suburbs that have fantastic schools, etc. It seemed like the place where our family could settle for a long time. Spencer, on the other hand, wanted to move NOWHERE but Montgomery, where our families lived (and still do). We both call Montgomery home - we were raised there. But I knew that going back to a place where you have previously been is hard - if not impossible. Plus, the opportunities for our family were better in Birmingham. But he would have NO PART of it. He had interviewed for jobs in Montgomery - doors kept closing. I was noticing that more and more signs pointed to Birmingham, but I couldn't make him see that. I knew that the only way we were moving here was for God to change his mind.

Tait was 9 months old when a cyst developed in her right kidney. It was scrutinized and measured and noted and observed and we were told not to worry. YEAH RIGHT. 2 months later, she had 2 cysts in her right kidney and 1 in her left. An appointment was made with a pediatric nephrologist at Children's Hospital immediately. We drove to Birmingham (we were living in Tallahassee, remember?) for our appointment. We met this man who told us that Tait had poly cystic kidney disease (PKD) and would be facing a kidney transplant by her 14th birthday. He told us that she wouldn't be able to have children because of the stress on her kidneys. He laid out a plan for her life that included blood pressure medicine, no contact or rough sports (and if you know my family, we are ATHLETES), and very structured weight control. My mind was spinning as I listened to this very smart doctor tell me what a challenge her life would be. I stood in this room, holding my 11 month old, with tears pouring down my face.

Then he picked up her chart and said, "Hold on. The cysts could actually be a by-product of her BWS, but I don't have any experience in that area." Then he said words that I will never forget as long as I live. He said, "There are 4 doctors IN THE WORLD who are leading specialists in pediatric kidney disorders AND genetic disorders and how the two are related." Then he pointed to a door and said, "We have one of them here on staff and her office is right there. Would you like me to make you an appointment with her?" You could've knocked Spencer and me over with a feather. Spencer turned to me and said, "We're moving to Birmingham." My prayer was answered in the basement of Children's Hospital, on a day that was proving to be one of the worst ones of my life. Turns out, it was one of the best.

We made an appointment to meet with Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford, a Harvard educated, multi-published, BRILLIANT doctor who is as sweet as she is smart. She loves on Tait and speaks waayy over our heads. Spencer and I get tickled every time we see her because when she walks out of the room, we try our best to translate into "normal people words" what she has just said to us. The first time she met us, she told us that she did NOT think Tait had PKD. She thinks that the cysts are part of BWS. She thinks that more kids than we realize probably have renal cysts, but most kids don't have abdominal ultrasounds to check. She thinks she will never have any trouble with them. She wants us to keep them monitored, which we do at her quarterly ultrasounds. She breathed life back into our daughter and told us that she was normal, healthy, and should be able to have 6 kids if she wanted. She eased our minds and calmed our hearts.

We now see Dr. Descartes every year. She is in charge of all of the other doctors. She schedules everything and any new doc is run through her first. It's nice to know that one, of our many docs, is the one in charge. There's no conflict with power. We see Dr. Guay-Woodford twice a year to check and monitor Tait's kidney function (which has been totally normal). We see an allergy/asthma specialist - Tait has seasonal allergies, as well as allergies to cats and dogs, just like every kid on the planet. But because of her large tongue, thus causing a smaller airway than most kids, when she gets any upper respiratory sickness, she is SICK - like hospital sick. It can and does cause airway/breathing issues. We never travel without a stash of allergy meds and a nebulizer for wheezing. But we have a doc monitoring that closely. Tait goes to kindergarten like all other 5 year olds. She is smart, developmentally ahead of her classmates, has a precious shy smile, and has a laugh that will melt your heart. She is expected to grow old, be a grandmother, and live a completely normal life. She is still monitored every 3 months via ultrasound for any developing tumors, but other than that is completely normal.

We moved 3 months later to Birmingham. Spencer looked at the job postings within his company the night we got home from the doctor and found a brand new opening in Birmingham. Very funny, God. :) He interviewed and got it. It was a little bit of a promotion and a little bit of a raise. We bought a house that had been on the market for 6 days. We have amazing friends, an AWESOME church, a wonderful community, and the best doctors in the world for our girl.

There are days when I get a little freaked out at the constant cancer monitoring that she goes through. It's not easy. It can take a toll on a mom's psyche. But God did not give me a spirit of fear. And I have to claim the promise that NO MATTER WHAT the tests show, My God Will Take Care Of Me. He has proven Himself faithful during the first 5 years of her life. And He will continue to be that way. He is the only one who loves her more than Spencer and I do. And My God Will Take Care Of Her.



Praise His Name. To HIM be the glory.

What I Made For Dinner Tonight

I was reading Clean Eating magazine the other day (you know, the whole change of lifestyle, getting fit, working with a trainer, taking Advocare products (by the way, if you're at all interested in that, let me know...I can help you out...see side bar to the RIGHT for an Advocare link if you're interested...), losing weight thing) and came across this recipe for Jambalaya. I showed it to Spencer who immediately said, "I think that should go on the menu soon...like tonight." So I made it tonight. It was FAB - quite possibly my favorite meal lately. Well, except for some Sea Bass that Spencer cooked on a cedar plank on The Big Green Egg - seriously, it would make you cry. But it's a close 2nd place. And since a blog is really just the 21st century version of writing letters and sharing recipe cards, I decided to share it here with you. Or, if you'd like, you can pick up the July/Aug 2010 issue of Clean Eating, which I highly recommend, because there were several more yummy looking things in there that I haven't tried yet. But will.

This jambalaya is made in a foil pouch, which makes clean-up a BREEZE. Just FYI.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp (26/30 size), peeled & deveined, tail on (I used a little more than 1/2 lb.)
- 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces (I used 1 regular sized chicken breast - didn't weigh it)
- 1 all natural low sodium turkey sausage, sliced
- 1/2 medium white onion (I used a Vidalia onion) diced.
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced.
- 1 rib celery, diced (I left this out altogether since Spencer is convinced that celery was invented by Satan, himself)
- 1 1/2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt free Cajun seasoning (I didn't have the salt-free kind, so I omitted the salt that comes later in the recipe)
- 1 C all natural instant brown rice (I used a little more)
- 1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth (I used a little more)
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (I omitted the salt....I already told you that)
- Olive Oil cooking spray (I forgot to spray the foil pouches and it worked fine - oops)

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400*F.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the cooking spray. Duh.
- Prepare 2 foil pouches, spray each with cooking spray (unless you forget like I did), put half of the ingredients in each, and seal.
- Cook 25 min. Check after 25 min to make sure chicken, shrimp, & rice are all done. If necessary, re-seal and cook for another 5 min.

Nutrients per 1 1/2 C serving: (for those of you who keep with this sort of stuff...like me)
- Calories: 339
- Total Fat: 5g
- Sat fat: 1g
- Carbs: 24g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 3g
- Protien: 46g
- Sodium: 354mg
- Cholesterol: 171mg

Finished product....