Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Pardon Me

I wish I could always have something up here for you. But this week a giant of wave of exhaustion has come up and grabbed me by the ankle and pulled me under.

Sometimes I just get SO tired. And, for me, that is saying something fierce because usually no matter how bad things are I can keep on ticking.

I just don't seem to be able to ever get enough sleep. In part because I have so much to do that I can't, and in part maybe I have so much to do that I just factually need more sleep to recover. Either way, more sleep isn't in the cards. There just aren't enough hours in the day. I feel like I could sleep for 48 hours straight.

Well this morning I woke up and hit the snooze button in a wishful haze that somehow, magically, 5 minutes would make all the difference.

It didn't.

So I took Kid to school dreaming of a nap. And went grocery shopping. And brought Baby home and fed her and then said "Ooh, I just want to curl up and take a nap."

She agreed.

But she was lying.

She brought a thousand books into my cool sheets.

I tried to read but could feel myself slipping away.

And so I pulled the quilt over my head and told her to get something to play with quietly.

She dutifully brought in three large tubs of toys and started playing with them... on me.

So I grumbled.

And she left.

I stirred guiltily when I heard the TV click on.

But I went back to sleep rationalizing my need.

I woke up abruptly an hour later to: "Mom my pants are soaked.... don't look under the blanket."

Which I guess I deserved.


Other tidbits:
I have not recorded any additional weight loss. Partly because I haven't had any, well not a full pound yet... I'm teetering back and forth. But mostly because I took about a week and a half off of calorie counting, got my period, had visitors, and a trip to Red Lobster (never again). Last week, due to crises of property & rodentia I also missed two of my workouts. So I'm feeling pretty good that despite all that I maintained. This week I am back on calorie counting and am trying (although this fatigue isn't helping) to pick up the two lost workouts (I'm shooting for 5 a week which means I'd need 7 this week). Having said all that I will say that I wish I had taken "Before" shots and measurements because I have totally changed my body in the last 3 weeks. It's crazy. I'm doing my step aerobic workouts which are literally the most intense workout I've ever done in my life and I am drenched in sweat from head to toe (seriously, even my socks are soaking wet). I'm shooting for 2-3 of those and then 2- 30 day Shred workouts a week, and of course the lawn mowing. I think it's the perfect balance of intense cardio (for real, check it out if you need a change... if you have Tivo you can catch this one on FitTV) and strength and I'm down just about 3 pounds and 2% body fat in three weeks. So that ain't nothing. I feel like I have a plan that works and that I really can be at the bottom of my goal weight range in 6 weeks. Bring it. Also, please bring me some energy and a house contract.

More unrelated tidbits:
Kid has had food sensitivities for years. We've done all sorts of stuff with her diet to help her with her food related eczema. I've had lots of success with food elimination. She was on a completely major allergen free diet from 18 months until she was 3 when many kids naturally outgrow their sensitivities. And that seemed to be the case. We were able to add just about everything back into her diet without any eczema flare ups. She seems (and I've found this with myself too) to have a certain carrying load for an allergen and once she surpasses that she flares up. Well, long story short this past summer the eczema came back with a vengeance and I've struggled to figure it out. She's older and it's harder to put her on a full blown elimination diet. One thing that she's never fully outgrown is eggs and she can only have them as a special treat and what is in a baked product every once in awhile without breaking out (worth noting that she LOVES eggs, craves eggs, would happily eat them 3 times a day... which is often the case with a trigger food). But we hadn't added more. I took them out and she was still flaring. I just couldn't figure out what new thing she we had added in (I tried removing several) and I couldn't figure out what thing she might be having too much of. Eventually I thought I'd just switch out her milk but she turned her nose at all the expensive alternatives I brought home: coconut, almond, hemp. Finally I have made some head way. I've got her on minimally pasturized goat milk (an astonishing $18/gallon) now instead of cow's milk (although she can still have yogurt and the minimal amounts of milk in food products without a problem) and it has cleared up. She says she doesn't like goat milk but if I tell her it's cow milk when I serve it (she asks every time... and yes I lie... I'm not about to waste that damn milk) she drinks it just fine... so it's not a taste thing it's a goat thing ;)


That's all I've got. Time to get ready to get Kid from school and unload the dishwasher. And hopefully score some crack on the corner so I'll have energy to workout.

9 comments:

Andrea said...

sleep I cant get enough either and the worst part is my kids are great sleepers but instead of me going to bed early I stay up way to late doing things I cant get done with two kids under my feet or ironing yeah I hate ironing thank God for tv or my husband would be shit out of luck. On kids allergies did you ever take her to an allergist, when Caleb was 6months old he was tested for allergies via blood draw and it showed wheat,milk,corn,eggs and soy allergy untill he was one we elimanted every bit of that from his diet.He turned one and slowly I began givnig him foods with these ingredients and never noticed a big difference except eggs his face swells like crazy scary. I was wondering if it effects moods like do you find kid is more moody or irritable when she eats certains foods or do I just have a crazy child on my hands he dosent show any physical signs ,he just seems miserable.My pediatrician seems to think he will just outgrow it all and not do anything maybe if the little turkey actually like food other than cereal and chocolate Id be fine. sorry to ramble on and the crack on the corner had me laughing out loud.

Brenda said...

Interesting on the eczema because I'm actually taking my youngest to a dermatologist today to take a look at his and help us figure it out. Our regular pediatrician has been telling us for years that it's just dry skin (trust me, it's not), so we've moved on to the specialist. Maybe I should just be trying to change diet. Although I have to say, the idea of trying to limit what the kid eats is incredibly, daunting... BTW, $18 for goat milk?? WTF, I'll just get my own goat and milk it myself! Diet also can be linked to the ADD and other stuff going on...so we've tried some things, but it is very hard.

Mrs Furious said...

Andrea,
Well as soon as we are back in MI I am planning on getting both kids tested since Baby has that weird super hives issue. Kid wasn't ever tested her ped just recommended doing the elimination diet and keeping her off until age 3. That totally worked until this year. Moodiness?! Well, Kid is crazy moody so it'd be hard for me to pin it down ;) The only thing I have noticed with her is the flaring and non-flaring eczema. Both of which were totally eliminated on a completely allergen free diet. And stayed that way even after we reintroduced them until now. She's also broken out in hives from egg based vaccines so those I know the egg is a true allergy.


Gigs,
There is a cheaper goat milk but that one is ultra-pasteurized and I try to avoid that. I've also heard that raw cow's milk might be tolerated when pasteurized cow's milk is not. You can buy that at the store in CT it's illegal in NC & MI so that option is out for me. If I were you I'd totally try the raw milk just to see. Also fermented milk is often tolerated when regular isn't so things like yogurt are often fine even if cow's milk isn't. It takes some experimenting. But I really do find that there is this threshold when it's a sensitivity and not a full blown anaphylactic allergy. So that's how I justify the goat milk for now. She has it in her cereal and a glass with dessert. So a half gallon will last me all week... still pricey but no more itching! As of now her non-flaring patches are still there (on her torso), I'd like to take this further and get those to go away too, as I had before, but I need more time and energy to put into food prep than I have now.

Claire said...

Your last sentence made me laugh right out loud!!! No matter what condition you're in you are still funny!!!

kenady said...

skip the crack!!!

you are amazing! just wanted to let you know:)

Julie said...

I am impressed that you have managed to work out at all with all the crazy shit going on. You are a true bad ass.

I hope you get some sleep.

Susannah said...

Mrs. F,

One of my goat milk customers has a little girl whose skin responds only to raw goat milk. Without it, she has flare-ups. When you move and are settled, hopefully, you can find another source. $18/gal. is criminal. Mine is $8/gal but I'm far away in Vermont.

Hang in there, girl! I wanted to comment a few posts ago about the yard work. Is there any money in the budget for a landscaping co.? They could mow and plant annuals for you.

I would love to help you if I lived there. (Cold comfort, but true!) Be careful with yourself - I ended up with shingles earlier this year due to stress. You seriously don't want shingles.

XXOO

Mrs Furious said...

Susannah,
I'm hoping we can get a cheaper source in MI once I can look around. I already found a buy a share of a cow raw milk distributer that is cheaper than this goat milk... I might try that since I hear it is much better for everyone. Otherwise Kid might finally get to live out her farm dream and start milking her own goat ;)

Missives From Suburbia said...

$18 a gallon? It strikes me as truly unjust that we're pouring endless amounts of oil into the ocean and gas is only $3 a gallon, when you have to take out a second mortgage to feed a child with allergies.

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