Joy in the Journey: Our Life Lately...

I hate that I cannot keep up with the blog as much lately. I documented James' first year so frequently and lately I am doing everything I can to stay on top of just the normal, day-to-day things. Jude is currently in an extremely active phase (plus he's a climber, an escape artist out of his high chair, etc.!) so I just never stop or sit still. We've also had a few little health changes/scares with James lately. I'll try to do a little bulleted update on the end of March and beginning of April before any more time passes.

1. Fit to Be DYED - I know some of y'all will probably think we've totally lost our marbles with this first little update, but at the beginning of March we started to make some connections about some behaviors James was struggling with that we found out were side-effects of a medicine that he was taking daily (Polyethylene Glycol) and that, ironically, it was also in many foods that he was eating (propylene glycol - "the kissing cousin" of the other), particularly artificial coloring in food. I won't go into great detail because I want to find an appropriate balance between respecting James' privacy, but I also want to document and share vaguely incase it could be a help to others. It is by the grace of God that we made the connection, and had I not been keeping a line-a-day journal for the last year or so I don't know that we would have put the pieces together. I have read so much the last few weeks on the topic of these ingredient and artificial colorings in food, and I could share a million articles and resources (but I won't do that!). But I will say that after much research, prayer, and after removing any foods with artificial coloring from his diet along with this medicine, James is feeling much happier. We are convinced that he has a sensitivity/allergy to these ingredients (common signs might be: hyperactivity, restlessness, sleep issues, digestive issues, dark circles under the eyes, etc.), and since we removed them from his diet we have seen significant improvement in all of these areas. We thought initially that he might rebel against the change but instead he is asking us for the foods that "make him feel good" (because he can tell the difference!).

What does this mean? We read the labels on the foods we buy and avoid any with colors listed (Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Blue 1, etc.) as well as sodium benzoate and propylene glycol. I'm sure there are lots of other questionable ingredients to be explored, but this is a starting point and a change that we find manageable . We aren't shopping at organic stores or spending a fortune, but we are being more informed about what we are eating in an effort to help James but we are recognizing that we are all feeling better. And there are tons of products out there (even at Walmart!). I've been compiling a list of these dye-free products and may post them for anyone interested at a later date.

Will James ever eat an M&M again? I'm sure there will be the occasional "cheats" along the way (and sometimes we will be eating out and probably consume things unknowingly), but we hope that our friends and families will support and encourage the change. We wont deprive him of "being a child" - but it just means that we'll be much more intentional, for example: make him homemade treats (I've made three kinds of homemade donuts the last few weeks!), instead of processed foods with added colors, or have alternative products on hand for church or other activities. I wouldn't give peanut butter to a child with a peanut allergy, and so I have to remember that this is no different (even if the results are more delayed) when I feel guilty about having to turn down the offer of a lollipop or whatever.

Please don't think we've gone totally nutty (I was skeptical too!), but it's amazing the difference! I would be happy to discuss this further with anyone in a similar boat but I'm sure that's more than enough info for now...

2. A Hard Knock - Less than a week after we made significant diet changes as a family, James took a bad fall while trying to get a pillow off the bed and knocked four baby teeth loose on the wooden bed frame. He's had lots of bumps and bruises the last four years, but I don't think anything scared me quite like this: the blood, the bruising and swelling, the condition of the teeth. I was not handling the situation well and could hardly even sleep the night of the injury (worried if he would be able to keep his teeth!). We had just been to the dentist for his cleaning that morning, so I was able to get in touch with his dentist first thing the next morning and get him in for an x-ray. There was nothing on the x-ray that was a cause for concern, and the dentist put him on a soft diet for a week (smoothies, applesauce, etc.) to see if the teeth would firm back up. It has been a little over two weeks, and we are so thankful that the teeth have, in fact, gradually firmed back up! We have prayed with James throughout the last few weeks, and we have thanked God for His healing. There is still a risk of infection (even weeks or months out) and they are beginning to darken some now which is normal for an injury like this, but we are continuing to pray that they would not become infected or have to be pulled (yes, they are baby teeth, but no one would wish for their child to have to go through the trauma of having multiple teeth pulled.) Thank you for praying for him.

3. Anniversary Celebration - Stephen and I celebrated our 7th anniversary a few days after James took his bad fall. We changed our anniversary plans about 87 times in the days that followed (concerned about us not being with him and him further injuring the teeth that were supposed to be "possibly firming.") But, in the end, we did end up going out and enjoying a nice dinner at Village Tavern while James and Jude took it easy at Nana and Grandpa's for a few hours. It was nice to eat and relax (without little people in tow) and then we enjoyed Steel City Pops afterwards (if you are even in Birmingham, it's a must-try!).

I love that we've been taking a picture like this every year on our anniversary for the last 7 years, and we can see how much our family has grown since the beginning!

Thankful for the last seven years with this man! Thankful for some time alone to enjoy each other!

4. Brotherly Love: I love everything about these two brothers. I love when they play together and how they love each other. I love that they have their own little language for communicating in screams...(most of the time!). I love dressing them alike every chance I get. And I absolutely love being their Mama. Here are a few of their sweet moments together: