Health Update

Symptometry —

Since I wrote a year ago:

[Recap: I had started taking molecules to improve circulation the last days of 2016, and they helped!]

However, we felt like we should get pregnant, and I could no longer take those molecules as they were not safe for pregnancy. I had to focus strictly on taking particulates and molecules for the baby. 

Then over the summer, I felt God urging me to stop taking the particulates and molecules from my Symptometry treatment. So I did.

We still try to eat scientifically as we feel better when we do.

I am regressing more quickly now than I did when I took the Symptometry treatment. I guess the treatment was slowing down my deterioration more than we realized. But I’m not going to start back and disobey God unless He directs me to begin again.

We do not know all of His reasons and purposes for directing me to stop after leading us to be on it for almost four years. However, we both feel as if my healing is coming swiftly, and last summer I began to feel His jealousy to receive ALL of the glory for my healing...


Restless Legs (RLS) — 

Right after birth I was able to decrease the amount of my prescription drug by a third!

Not wanting to take any medication, I started taking the L-Dopa supplement (naturally occurring in the velvet bean). I think it helps because I am now able to not routinely use the drug!

However, my legs get restless (and sometimes my arms) if I nurse in bed at night (clearly it’s hormone-related for me). So, we try to arrange my sleep with the baby’s 8-hour chunk to avoid breastfeeding in bed and interrupting my sleep.

Also, I am taking a warm soak every night before bed (it warms and relaxes my legs and gives me a quiet time to pray, recite Scripture, and talk to Ricky).

This whole routine is fairly new, so we are still working it all out. But now, my RLS is better than it was before I got pregnant, thanks to God for providing the L-Dopa :)

A Month of Partying!

• Our daily activities this month are here. Other happenings: 
• First week of  December: Ricky got to go to the Marshallese Gospel Day Celebration (they celebrate the day Americans brought the Gospel to the Marshall Islands :) and was shown great honor; I had a successful postpartum appointment; a friend came to visit one day; we had some friends over for dinner; and we celebrated our first snow of the season with some friends (we ended up trapped there and had to have a family sleepover!) So fun!
• Second week of  December: We had friends over for dinner; Ricky’s mom arrived for a 10-day visit (and got to meet Raphael :); got to go to a friend’s Hawaiian Christmas party (with baby); and, went to a dinner party with our small group. [We delivered our gingerbread cookies to a halfway house this year.] My MIL took Aolani to a hair salon to get her first real haircut, and she took both kids to the movie theater and on a carriage ride. 
• Third week of  December: Ricky’s dad and brother came down to join us for movie night and our fancy dinner. Then Ricky’s mom flew out. We ventured to church for the first time since Raphael was born on Christmas Eve. We showed the kids the first old Star Wars movie (and they really liked it). 
• Fourth week of  December: All of our Christmas Day activities are here (and we had three little Marshallese girls over as our party guests). It was really nice getting to host Ricky’s family for Christmas; they left the next day. We had a friend over to celebrate his birthday with dinner and a game. The next big event was on New Year’s Eve — Aolani had a sleepover with girlfriends at their house (and had a blast!), and we hosted the boys’ sleepover (lots of snacks, Lego marble run, Lego robot competition, Lego Ninjago movie).
• On a side note, we have gotten a lot of use out of our queen air mattress -- a great purchase!
• Raphael outgrew his newborn clothes and now weighs over 13 lbs. He sleeps through the night, meaning he sleeps one 6-9 hour chunk and 3-hour intervals after that. He sleeps in a bear suit at night. He is in his crib for the big chunk and then joins us in bed. I nurse him to sleep, and if he isn’t asleep after that then Ricky holds him until he gives up (usually a few minutes). He loves to be warm and swaddled. Raphael is very social and happy! Our smiliest baby! It's great having so many people to love on him and give him attention :) Pretty easy and laidback; he fusses a little when he is hungry, tired, or has a dirty diaper (cries only if his needs persist). And he loves to coo and talk :) Right now, he is not on a nursing or napping routine, but he sleeps a lot and nurses well! We are not in any rush with this as we know it’ll come; we are treasuring this time! He naps when he’s tired and will go in the crib. We let him suck his thumb during the day in his crib but not other times. He eats every few hours generally. I only feed him on one side each feeding to keep my milk supply regulated. Also, Raphael likes riding in the car and having his diaper changed. We are not sure about how he feels about bathtime because sometimes he likes it and sometimes not so much. He loves his whole family! He gained neck control, seems really strong and sturdy, and has a dimple on his right knee :) I believe all of his bodily functions are normal and regular, thankfully. He resembles Aolani in the face and Micaiah in the body. 

• I’m going to take a break from memorizing new verses this year since I feel like I really need to solidify the verses I have already done. It’s definitely not for lack of verses that I want to learn, but I want to pause this year and be able to quote every verse without help before moving on and adding more. Not positive how I’m going to focus on that, but that’s my goal. I have a plan but it needs tweaking. 

Resolutions for 2018

I got the idea of one resolution a month from Ann Voskamp. Not that I cannot do the other ones when it’s not the assigned month, but I like having just one thing that I need to focus on and accomplish each day. It’s not overwhelming that way and seems very feasible! I have too many resolutions otherwise. Plus, it’s said that it only takes 21 days of repetition for something to become a habit. I am not good at having abstract goals, so I put my planned action step for how I hope to do each one after stating my desire.

January --

Embrace my husband emotionally by offering him a sweet smile when he comes home and thank him for coming home.

February --

Engage my kids' ugliness by expecting the badness (disobedience, ungratefulness, whining, entitlement...) and complimenting them when they act or speak nicely instead of shaking my head and acting repulsed (my natural response).

March --

Be who I want to be by responding the way I will have wanted to when I look back on this moment in retrospect. 

April --

Believe for the unseen by praying while I nurse at night.

May --

Speak gratitude by verbalizing my thanks instead of pointing out when something doesn’t go my way (a rational, adult way of complaining). 

June --

Daily worship by listening to  one song a day and focusing only on the Worthy One in praise.

July --

Do literature delving by reading for just five minutes a day, alternating fiction and nonfiction,

August --

Let go of frustration by repeating myself kindly and asking again instead of exasperatedly saying how many times I have already asked or sarcastically thanking for not doing what I asked.

September--

Learn the Scripture I already memorized by rehearsing two verses every waking hour. 

October--

Live trusting God by restraining my anger when my felt needs are not being met.

November--

Give presence to my kids at night by helping my husband put the older kids to bed, when possible.

December--

Grow in grace by reading just one Bible chapter a day.