Lately

Tea :: Moon and Stars :: Winter Branches :: Fir Tree Lit from Beneath :: Defrosting Window :: Backing Up :: Winter Herb Garden :: Simmering Elderberry Tonic :: Mentos and Coke :: Refracted Light :: Rosy Light :: Sunset Behind a Filbert Orchard :: Favorite Restaurant :: Pattern Folding while Skyping with my Sister :: Hot Cocoa :: Lichen on Fence :: 80,000 Miles :: Tire Swing :: More Tea :: New Bass Guitar

The Cloud Project

We get a lot of cloudy skies here in the Pacific Northwest. Having lived here my whole life, I've always thought I was immune to getting the Winter blues, but since my first was born, it seems like the darkening skies have been a bit tougher to take. Not because of him... no way... he is my joy and delight. I suspect hormonal changes brought on by a hard pregnancy. And lately, with the return of some adrenal fatigue symptoms, the rainy weather has really pulled me down.

In an effort to change my heart-i-tude, I had an idea... I like taking pictures of clouds, and thought it might be a fun project to try to post daily pictures of my sky throughout this Autumn and Winter. Looking for that silver lining, you might say... a way to find interest in what otherwise might be a gloomy shadow over my poor vitamin D-deprived head (yes, I am taking my daily dose by mouth, but the real thing is always better, isn't it?).

Instead of posting all my photos in my regular blog posts, I added a tab up at the top of the page, where you can click to see the rolling overhead sky. Posts will be simply the date and one picture. Hop on over and say Hello whenever you get a chance.

Adapting

Phase Three of diagnosing what has been ailing me is complete.

Phase One was treating the immediate symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue with an Acetylcholine-boosting protocol of vitamins and minerals along with a careful diet of foods that would help regulate blood sugar levels. And rest. Lots of rest.

Phase Two was testing my reproductive hormone levels. The results being that my Progesterone is (and probably has been for several years) extremely low. This is a rather easy thing to fix with application of cream. And, most exciting of all, may be the root cause of the insomnia I've battled since my Firstborn entered the world. I'm hoping to experience the restoration of normal sleep in the near future.

Phase Three I entered with skepticism, because I didn't feel that it applied to my situation. But I followed my Naturopath's advice and had a full food allergy/sensitivity panel done. Now this panel, when done by a traditional Allergist, would only test for foods that caused an anaphylactic response. When done by a doctor who wants to find root causes for symptoms, it will also include testing for additional antibodies which may indicate food sensitivities.

Results? Across the board, nothing very obvious or life-altering in my case, except eggs. EGGS? But I love eggs! I have my very own herd of chickens that provide delicious good-for-me proteins and amino acids! Well, I guess not good for ME.

Since I was having this test done, I also made an appointment for the First Grader, who has had lifelong tendencies toward allergic symptoms, and who I have long suspected to be somewhat intolerant of dairy products.

Now this is where the ADAPTING from the title of this post comes in. My Firstborn, Son of my Heart, Delight of my Days, is indeed sensitive to Dairy. But also highly sensitive to Gluten and Eggs.

Breathe a big sigh with me, my friends.

Alone, or even together, Gluten and Dairy allergies can be rather easily overcome in this day and age, because of the vast amount of replacement products available in the supermarket. But add eggs to the mix, and it grows infinitely more challenging. Eggs are in everything!

I have already done a lot of research on eating Primal (Paleo), and think that my family will adapt to this way of eating rather easily, even with the exclusion of eggs.

What has me completely stumped, and put my brain into a vortex of calculations that has even kept me away from this blog for a week, is how to feed a First Grader who doesn't like nuts a hearty breakfast to hold him over to lunch while he's at school, and then there's that lunch... They don't allow much time for eating in the public school system, so snacks mid-morning are nearly impossible to provide, and the lunches have to be quick and easy to eat. Most Gluten free breads on the market are either as dry as a piece of toast or have eggs as an ingredient. So sandwiches aren't totally out of the question, but who wants to scarf down dry bread while the lunchroom monitors are hurrying you out the door? I'm not crazy about the idea of just putting a pile of lunchmeat (even the "good" kinds put out by Applegate) into his lunchbox because to me that equals nasty greasy fingers, and way too much processed meat for my preference.

So for now, I'm going to experiment with a couple of bread recipes that I found on Pinterest, and hope to tap into the resource of a few friends that have already started down the same road. And I will try to stay focused on the reason I'm following through... I want my Boy to be healthy. I want the best for him, and if that means extra work on my part, well, that's just me doing my Mama-job.

Feel free to chime in with any suggested resources you may know of from your own personal experience.