Oh, Boo....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  

News:

-Scratch that last post about going back to school in January.  Not happening at that time but soon, I hope.  


-Isla is almost 2 and is learning/doing so much these days.  She sings a ton, can count to 4, recognizes a variety of animals, and is starting to recognize letters.  I can't believe how quickly kids learn.  She is also hilarious to watch.  My favorite moment from today was when she was shoving her stuffed monkey's face in to a cracker and ordering it to "Eat it.  EAT IT!!!!!"  

The following picture is a good representation of her personality.

She doesn't actually use a pacifier....she just likes to chew on them occasionally. 

That **** cray...

Guess who's going back to BYU in January??

2 Weeks in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

Ok, Ok, it wasn't quite as bad as all that.  But the 2 weeks in which I traveled to, stayed in, and then left Maryland, were not as pleasure-filled as I was hoping for.  Side-note:  I'm feeding off my current cranky-ish mood while writing this so if it sounds overly blech that's why.  

Really my trip to Maryland sets the tone for the entire trip so I'll mostly just tell that story.  My ride to the airport (for whom I am really very grateful) was late picking me up.  When I got to the airport I snapped my hand in to Isla's stroller buckle, which, by the way, is very painful if you've never done it before.  I wouldn't recommend trying it out to see if I'm right.  When I got to the counter to check my bags and get my boarding pass, I was informed I needed proof of Isla's age in order to have her ride on my lap.  I was unaware of that fact and was not traveling with her birth certificate.  Thankfully when I almost started crying the woman at the counter told me I could get it for the ride home and they wouldn't charge me for an additional round-trip ticket.  I got to my gate (I should note at this point that it was a miracle I got through the lengthy security line with Isla) and discovered our flight was delayed by 1.5 hours.  I was hoping Isla would nap on the plane.  No such luck.  We had a lot of turbulence so the fasten-seat-belt-sign was illuminated most of the flight.  For anyone with a rambunctious toddler that is NOT a good thing.  There was a snarky flight-attendant who made it her personal mission on that flight to ensure my daughter was safely on my lap at all times.   In response I spent most of the latter-half of the flight crying because Isla was crying/screaming.  I couldn't even go to the bathroom to change her poopy diaper.  I had to do it on the empty seat next to me.  Happy note: There was an empty seat next to me and when I got to Maryland at least I still had all of my hair.

Another fun part of the trip was Isla's sleeping habits.  Ordinarily she is a marvelous sleeper.  I have been very richly blessed in that regard.  She goes to bed at 7 pm and wakes up at around 8am.  VERY nice.  On this trip, when I was the only parent there, she decided to not sleep past around 6:45 am.  On the first few mornings she was up before 6 am.  In Maryland.  Which meant that in Utah it was like 4 am and needless to say it was a bit early for my taste.  

All of these things notwithstanding, there were some good parts of the trip.  The jet-skis, the boat, the pool, all fun.  Seeing family, also fun.  Karaoke for Taylor's birthday, also surprisingly enjoyable.  My Mom even coerced me into singing a song by myself.  Once in a life-time that.  

Things got a lot better by the end of the 2 weeks and the flight home was wonderful.  Next time I fly by myself with a toddler I'll remember to bring a bunch of touring-Asians with me who love blonde-curly-haired babies.  They did a fabulous job entertaining her.  

To leave you now on a happy note, here's a song that makes me exceedingly glad.

How true it is

My Mom mentioned this saying to me today after I e-mailed her the above picture:

"I wish I could see kids as just sleeping and not recharging their batteries."

I've often remarked to Michael that it would be wonderful if children were the lethargic ones and as you got older and could be more productive with your time you got more and more energy.  If only!

I gotta Chrysler that seats about 20, so COME ON!

And bring your jukebox money!

I have a 19-mo. old daughter who LOVES being outside.

She also has insanely curly hair, and loves to read.

Precious

Isla, Isla, and more Isla

My sister brought this "dress" back from Egypt.   It makes
fun noise when Isla dances in it.

Curly hair!

Caught up to no good!  I love this kid.

She LOVES mowing the lawn with her "Gaggy."

In other news. . .

I'll get the cute stuff out first: 

And now on to the other news:

In the fight to rid myself of some of my chronic ailments (headaches, joint and muscle pain, depression, anxiety, etc.) I took a cue from my aunt and have started a gluten-free diet.  My aunt discovered a year or 2 ago that she is gluten intolerant.  She had symptoms like restless-leg syndrome which I would have never associated with gluten.  Because I had such a wide range of symptoms I never thought to connect them all---I never thought they could all have a root cause.  But 5 weeks ago I decided I would give this a try after reviewing a list of symptoms.   Seeing as how I had most of the symptoms (minus the weight-loss unfortunately :-) ) I figured giving this a try would be a good idea.  Over the past 5 weeks my "gastrointestinal" symptoms have all cleared up, and I am really starting to feel better overall.  

Two weeks ago we went on vacation with some good friends.  We went to a restaurant and I thought my meal was going to be gluten free, but I didn't check closely enough.  I ate it, and almost instantly felt sick.  Pretty good confirmation that I am gluten-intolerant.  And I am so grateful.  It's difficult avoiding foods that I LOVE, like Italian food at restaurants, but thankfully there is a VERY wide variety of gluten-free cuisine and many of my favorite ethnicities of food are naturally gluten-free, like Indian and Thai food.  Even Mexican food, so long as I eat it with corn tortillas.  And because gluten-intolerance is finally being understood by doctors, there are a growing number of gluten-free alternatives available at grocery stores even in the small town of Salem.  

It feels good to have a better idea of what's wrong with my body.  

Before I forget, here is the list of some of the symptoms:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms: These are some of the “classic” — although not the most common — symptoms of celiac disease:
  • Abdominal pain and distension
  • Acid reflux
  • Bloating
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Gas and flatulence
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Weight loss or weight gain
• Nongastrointestinal symptoms: Interestingly, although gluten sensitivity and celiac disease affect the gut, most people’s symptoms are not gastrointestinal in nature. This partial list includes just some of the more than 250 symptoms not centered in the digestive tract.
  • Fatigue and weakness (due to iron-deficiency anemia)
  • Vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies
  • Headaches (including migraines)
  • Joint/bone pain
  • Depression, irritability, listlessness, and mood disorders
  • “Fuzzy brain” or an inability to concentrate
  • Infertility
  • Abnormal menstrual cycles
  • Respiratory problems
  • Canker sores (apthus ulcers)
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Bruising easily
  • Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
  • Muscle cramping