Living with a bunch of crazies is making me CRAZY!!!

I live with two crazies!!! When I say crazy I really mean it! I have no experience with children that aren't crazy because Zach and Luke have both been crazy since birth.

Zach was the most chatty baby I have ever met and has continued to be the chattiest person in my life. He is exhausting, sucking all the energy out of me at times! He is an extrovert.

Lucas had the worst acid reflux as an infant! It was awful. I would nurse him and within 5 minutes he would throw it all back up again. It got really depressing when all I was doing for the first few weeks was nursing him day and night. This was a huge reason I stopped breastfeeding him.

Well Zach is 5 and Luke is about 17 months and they are both as crazy as ever. Sometimes I am not really sure how I have made it through a particularly crazy day. I have been doing a lot of praying lately. I stop in any given moment and either to myself or often times out loud I ask God for help to cope with the craziness. And I am pretty sure that at this stage in the game I have also become part of the crazies, which for a while have tried to hide. But honestly I think it's better to be open and honest about these kinds of things. So yes I am part of this crazy bunch!!! I may not be crazy to some of you that know me but my brain explodes with craziness as I lay in bed at night. It used to be so easy to fall asleep at night when I was working outside of the home. My body would be so exhausted from working with other people's children all day (I worked at a daycare) that it was all I could do to stay awake long enough to get the boys fed and into bed.

It's been almost a year of staying at home with my boys and Chloe (little girl I watch during the week) that I think the craziness of it all just seems normal to me. I know nothing else! And further more if I didn't have this craziness that I am so used to I wouldn't know what to do with myself. This crazy business involves every aspect of my life~my boys, my husband (though that is less than most of the others), my home, my relationships, my friendships...

The craziness is just CRAZY!!! My day is filled with cleaning up messes from one end of the house to the other. When I think it's done I have to start all over again! The laundry (which I hate!) is always this huge pile that never seems to get any smaller and just like the cleaning up just when I think it's complete it really isn't!

The temper tantrums of Sir Duke these days have just got me wanting to cry and scream myself! YIKES! Oh and the fact that this kid just can't seem to keep his body out of things it doesn't belong in! He always seems to find another object to put his cute little self into :)
Zach lately thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread!!! Pretty sure he is smarter than me and will continue to be smarter than me until the day I die! It's great another thing I get to look forward to :) And the never ending loudness and screaming at our house. Right now as I am writing Zach is at school and both Chloe and Luke are sleeping. The house is very quiet which is totally weird for me since usually we have to have the TV volume up to
#21 to hear anything that is going on and even than we strain.

Ok so don't get me wrong I love my boys and the fact that I get to stay home with them. And I also know that at least at this moment this is how things are supposed to be. God never gives you more than you can handle, right?? God must really think I can handle a lot cuz my plate is overflowing :-) and to be honest I wouldn't want it anyother way.

*Thank you God for all the wonderful blessings you have given me. It makes me awestruck to think of all you have chosen for me to deal with and the fact that you must trust me so very much to give me so much! In Your holy name. AMEN!!*

What's in a name??

Ok, so after being a stay at home mom for nearly a year (a year in April) I have decided to change the name of my blog. I am no longer a new stay at home mom, but have taken on the name of Bubba, the Duke and Mama. Funny title right?? Well there is a reason to my craziness! Bubba is the nickname we gave Zach almost the moment he was born. Not really sure why bubba, but it seemed to suit him. The Duke is Lucas. I am a big nickname gal and it just kind of comes to me! Other nicknames I have come up with for Lucas are Luke the Cooke, Duka Cooka, Lucas Dookas and so on.

And while my wonderful hubby is around a lot of the time it's only suiting that this blog be named after me and the little boys! They take over my entire day and many of my nights. And as crazy as they make me MOST days I love them and feel so blessed to have them as my children.

And who knows, maybe I will come up with an even more crazy of a name for this story I call MY LIFE :)

It's been too long!!

So, I haven't written since August! YIKES!! Well I have been home with the boys and Chloe for 8 months. Crazy how it just hasn't felt that long and sometimes it actually feels much longer than that.

It has been really hard to get out of the house because the babies are on such different schedules. It never fails when one is sleeping the other is awake and visa-versa. One will be fussy one day and the other the next. I feel like I am never sitting for more than 30 minutes before someone needs something, but I guess that is my job! My job is to give the babies and Zach what they need when they need it. Also my job includes laundry, making the bed, washing dishes, picking up, cleaning, and making meals and snacks.

It's been really hard to get out and do much for the past few months. And to be completely honest it's a lot of work getting two babies and a 5 year old out the door. Than to think of all that work I put into getting us together and out the door to only be able to be gone an hour or two just makes me feel exhausted!! Luke often times will go down for a nap right after lunch. My goal for him is to sleep 2-3 hours, but lately his naps have been getting shorter and shorter.

Zach started school (kindergarten prep) in September.  He turned 5 the beginning of August. We decided to hold him back even though he is old enough to go to kindergarten. And when I say we I really mean ME!! Having been a teacher I kinda have seen first hand kids that were ready for school and others who weren't. I felt it was better to hold him back than to regret sending him when he wasn't ready. He is loving school so much. I really wish it was a full day program because he drives me crazy most mornings. He has a "best friend" named Rachel who he met the first day of school. Zach is so cute about the whole thing! He makes Rachel pictures and talks about her often. He seems to be learning so much. He'll come home with facts that I didn't even know about: ). He loves his teachers!! Over Thanksgiving break (so only 4 days) he said several times how much he missed his teachers and friends. What will he do with Christmas break?? That might be a tough week for all of us!!

Luke is at a stage right now where he knows what he wants and when he wants it but he doesn't have the words yet. So it's my job (another job!!) to figure out what he is trying to say. It's been tough. Lots of screaming. Trying to get him to use the signs that he knows and also introducing new ones. He has gotten really good at "all done" and "please". We have also seen him do "more" and "milk". Now if he would just use them more often we would be on the right track. I also believe that he knows more than we think he does. I have said things like "let's go take a bath!" and he heads right for the bathroom. I really think he is a super smart boy, but I am sure all moms think that of their children. I also think that Luke is becoming bored being at home all day long. He is starting to get into a lot of trouble. He is constantly climbing on stuff and than looks around to see who notices. At first it was really cute and now it's a big pain!!!

I am constantly telling myself that this is only a phase and it too will pass. Let's just hope it does and soon!!

Adventures in Cloth Diapers~Washing, stripping, odors and disinfecting.

Here is my cloth diaper washing routine:
~Top loading washing machine
~Highest water setting (extra large) *Always use the highest water setting you have*

1. Light cold wash cycle without detergent
2. Medium hot wash cycle with detergent
3. 2 hot rinse cycles
4. Line dry covers. Liners, inserts, wipes and prefolds medium dry in the dryer.

Stripping diapers:

1. Light cold wash cycle without detergent
2. 1-2 tablespoons regular blue dawn dish soap/medium hot wash cycle
3. Rinse until there are no more bubbles. Usually 3 rinses or so.
4. Dry the same as above.

Getting rid of diaper odors:

1. Cold wash like normal.
2. 1/2 cup baking soda and downy ball filled with distilled white vinegar-hot wash
3. Agitate diapers and than let sit overnight.
4. In the morning continue the washing cycle.
5. Rinse a few times.
6. You can rewash them if you wish.

Disinfecting diapers:
~Clean diapers like you would normally.

1. Cold wash with tea tree oil (3 drops)
2. Hot wash cycle with oxygen bleach about 1/2 cup.
3. Dry as normal. Sun dry if possible.

After this I would test the diapers by dripping a little bit of water on each to see if the diapers repel. When a diaper repels the liquid does NOT soak in, it stays on top. If the diapers repel than you would need to strip the diapers. If the water soaks right in than just continue with drying as usual.

Does this make me a bad mom??-Gluten/dairy free

Ok, so Zach is sensitive to gluten and dairy and Luke is sensitive to gluten. Right after I found out they were sensitive to dairy and gluten I went out and got just a few things. Than that weekend I went to the Wedge in Minneapolis and got tons of stuff I thought the boys might need. I knew it would be stressful but I didn't realize just how stressful. The biggest stressor is all the money that we are spending weekly for the boys to be on this diet. The first week around $150 the 2nd week about $80. That doesn't include food for Todd and I or other things that the boys need such as fresh fruit etc.

So far it has been almost 2 weeks since we switched their diets over. Just last night I noticed the dry skin that was taking over Zach's face is starting to disappear. I was going to for sure stop this diet for the boys if I didn't start seeing results. Now that I am seeing results I am on the fence about stopping. If I stop I feel like a bad mom, but if I continue we are spending a ton on food a week. What to do??

Gluten and Dairy Free!!

Ever since I stopped breastfeeding Zach (at 6 months old) he has had some serious eczema. The worst was on his face when he was a baby. He was on a milk based formula and after switching to a soy formula he was better. Not great, but better. He stayed on that until he was one and we tried whole milk with him. He threw up right away. The nurse told me to introduce it slower. So, every week we would increase the whole milk by 1oz. It took a whole month to get him completely on whole milk. His eczema continued until he was 2 and than just disappeared. Every once in a while it would come back but that was mostly with the change in seasons. It began to really come back about February and by April it was the worst I have ever seen it. He was so uncomfortable and always itching. I felt like a bad mom because I couldn't help him.

When Zach was about 2 he had a few episodes of having a hard time breathing. The first time he was put on a liquid medicine to help, but when it happened again a few weeks later they put him on a nebulizer. The past few years he has only needed his neb a few times during the winter. This last year he has needed his neb more than all the other times put together. He would do this gasping thing and scare the crap out of me!!

Lucas has also had some eczema issues, but not as bad as Zach. Luke gets it mostly on his back with a few patches on his stomach. Luke's comes and goes. I was told by our dr. to make sure and only give him a bath 1 or 2 times a week, which is what I have been doing. Well, that is what I did when he was an infant. Now that he is crawling around he gets a bath every other day. Zach too!!

So, I have been thinking there is something just not right with Zach mostly. I am not talking developmentally or anything, but physically. He has bags under his eyes like he hasn't been getting enough sleep though I know he has. His eczema has gotten so much worse and for a while now he has had dry skin all around his eyes and down his nose. Just doesn't seem normal. In my gut I felt like something just wasn't right.

During the week I watch a little girl (Chloe). I had brought all of this up to her mom one day. She said it sounded just like what she had been dealing with a few years ago. Her symptoms had been worse though. I asked what she had done about it. She told me that she tried to get allergy testing done with no end insight. The doctors kept telling her there was nothing wrong with her and to just deal with the symptoms. Kinda what Zach's doctor has been saying this whole time. In not so many words. Chloe's mom said she had actually been to a chiropractor who had helped her figure out she was sensitive to gluten and some other things too. She explained this test (nutrition response test) that her chiropractor did on her and I was so sceptical. It sounded ridiculous! BUT, at this point I was becoming desperate to figure out what was going on with Zach. I had looked into allergy testing which would cost around one thousand dollars just for the first visit. Our insurance company said we would have to pay our co-pay and all the lab work. Well, I am pretty sure that would be almost the entire visit. We just couldn't afford that. I thought maybe getting looked at by a chiropractor was our next best option. I looked into it and found out a nutrition response test would run about $40. That we could afford.

So, I took the boys to a chiropractor in Edina. I was a little nervous at first and even thought about cancelling the appointment. A friend of mine had warned me to be careful and that she had done some research and found out that sometime these things can be spiritual and not in a good way. I promised myself that if things felt wierd in anyway that I would leave. I didn't want to put my own religious beliefs aside just to have the boys tested. If it came down to it I would just let things be and hope it worked out on it's own.

The day for the test came. I brought the boys into the chiropractor and we sat in the back room while wating. Zach and Luke played on the floor with toys while the chiropractor and I talked about the boys and what has been going on the past few years mostly with Zach. She tested Luke first. He sat on my lap while the dr. put viales of different things (gluten, dairy, kiwi, potato etc) on his forehead. While doing that she was also putting constant downward pressure on my arm. There were a few times she would push down on my arm and I didn't have the strength to keep my arm raised. I tried and tried to keep my arm up and I just couldn't. The rest of the time I was able to keep it at shoulder height with no problems. Luke tested sensitive to broccoli and gluten. Zach tested sensitive to gluten and dairy.

Now I knew what the problem was, but what do I do now??

My hubby!

So, I have been married to my wonderful husband, Todd for almost 7 years. It will be 7 years on July 22nd actually. Todd and I met while attending Concordia University St. Paul. He is one year older than me but stayed an extra semester. He lived on campus while I lived with my parents in Como Park. He was going to school to become a DCE (director of Christian Education) and I was going for my Early Childhood Education degree. We both graduated in 2004. I went on to become a preschool teacher at a church and he went off to the Mall of America to work on video games. He decided a few years into his program that it wasn't something that he wanted to do anymore, but he wanted to degree just in case. Now he is currently working a vending machine company. He has been with this company for many years and really seems to enjoy what he does.

So back to how we met. I had been a cheerleader while in high school and wanted to continue that in college. I went to cheerleading tryouts and to my surprise there were actually some men wanting to try out as well. Todd happened to be one of them, which is funny if you know my husband because he is rather short and everyone else was much taller. The cheer instructors were in front of us trying to show us a routine when Todd walked up to me asking if we knew each other. I was pretty sure that I had never seen him before in my life, but he keep pushing the matter. I finally just told him we didn't know each other and I turned around and left it at that. Well we both made the squad and actually ended up working together as partners a few times.

At this point in my life I had been with the same boyfriend for a good chunk of high school and he wasn't good for me. He never hit me though there were a few times he threatened. He was emotionally abusive though and I had been wanting to break things off with him for a while but I was a little scared of what he might do.

So, one day I decided that I wanted to talk with Todd more. He seemed like a nice man and I wanted to get to know him a little more. I called up one of my cheer coaches and got him number from her. I finally got the nerve up to give him a call (he was very surprised) and we talked for hours. After that first day we began spending more and more time together and I was spending less and less time with my current boyfriend. One day Todd and I were talking and I found out that he had a girlfriend up in Brainerd where he is from. This was news to me since he hadn't even brought her up once in all the conversations we had ever had. I was a little disappointed but I had a boyfriend too, so I tried not to let it show. Because of cheerleading we were together a lot and were often paired as partners.

Well, eventually I got the nerve to break things off with my current boyfriend and he broke things off with the girl he was seeing. We started officially dating the end of November 2000. We dated for several years when he asked me to marry him on my birthday October 28th 2003. We were married July 22nd 2005!