March Madness

Well, I'm not sure what else to call these past couple of weeks. We are still on the hunt for our first home, I'm beginning my 5th month of pregnancy, the kids have been busy with their studies, and James has been working a lot. Life is busy, but good! My camera is MIA, so no photos...not sure there were any in there to upload any way! At any rate, I'll give you the high lights:

House Hunting:

We made another offer on a house in Heritage, but it didn't work out. We have seen several other houses, some scarier than others. One house in particular looked like a real winner until we entered the master bedroom and the entire foundation was sinking into the ground. Not cool. Yeah, this whole shopping for a first home on a budget has been a little stressful. We recently found a house we like in Nipomo. That would be great to stay in the same area. However, our realtor is having a hard time reaching the listing agent. Don't these people want to sell their properties!?!? Oh well. I'm sure it will all work out just as it is supposed to. In the meantime, we wait.

Home School/Education:

The kids and I have been studying ancient history. Savanna will be beginning an online fiction writing class next week. Jackie and I had our first book discussion on "Emma," and I am finishing up "1984" for our next colloquium. James is reading the "Little Britches" series by Ralph Moody. Totally classic series- great read aloud books for the kids. I can't say enough about those books. They are chalked full of real life lessons, morals, and great discussion topics.

Church:

Savanna got her first calling. She is the secretary for the Beehive class. She still absolutely loves Young Women, and is taking her calling very seriously. She had a movie night with all the girls a couple Fridays ago. They watched "13 Going on 30," ate a bunch of junk, and prank called some of their boy friends. James hid in the bedroom, and just kept shaking his head as the shrills and giggles floated up from downstairs. He told me that I need to explain girls to him. :) The boys are still the stars of the primary choir, belting out each hymn every Sunday. Ben has been tormenting his new Sunday School teacher...sigh. Brad gave a talk today in primary about how God speaks through His holy prophets. He did a great job, and was very proud of himself.

Baby:

I am a little over 16 weeks. According to my pregnancy calendar it says:

"Your baby now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces. Fingernails are well-formed and the fine hair, lanugo, may be growing on the head. Arms and legs are moving. The nervous system is functioning and muscles are responding to stimulation from your baby's brain."

I know she is still very small, but my belly totally popped out these past 2 weeks. I look very pregnant now...fortunately, I am still feeling pretty good. At the next check up we have the option of getting an ultrasound or not. I thought James and I were on the same page about wanting to be surprised about the gender, but apparently he wants to find out. We are debating- I'll let you know what we decide in 4 weeks!

Health:

I went to a community workshop this past Friday about ear infections- how to prevent them and heal them without antibiotics. After my recent ear infection, I was very curious to know what to do in the future. Great information. Basically, most ear infections are caused by stagnant fluid in the Eustachian tubes. Get rid of the fluid, you get rid of the infection. Most of the time (about 80%) if you wait 72 hours, ear infections will go away on their own. You can prevent fluid build up by limiting dairy (cow's milk especially), getting regular exercise and adequate sleep, eating fresh veggies and fruit, and getting regular chiropractic adjustments.

Apparently the adjustments especially help if you feel an infection coming on or are prone to them (this goes for kids and adults). One of the known causes of fluid build-up is a misalignment of the first bone in the neck, which distorts these tubes and interferes with normal drainage of fluid from the ears. Chiropractors are trained to locate this misalignment, which is called a spinal subluxation, and correct it through a gentle adjustment. This not only restores normal function to the Eustachian tube for proper drainage, but also removes interference to the nerve system, improving overall immune function.

That will be good to know in the future. With my two trips to urgent care and three prescriptions, I probably spent close to $200 on this last infection. I would have much rather spent $40 on an adjustment and not have taken antibiotics! The man who gave this talk was Dr. Tullius. He owns a chiropractic and pilates center in Grover Beach. He gives many free community workshops ranging on a variety of topics. I really enjoyed meeting him, and look forward to utilizing his services.

His site is: http://www.dr-t.net/index.html

Well, that about sums up the highlights of our last couple of weeks. I will find my camera, and post some pics of the fam, and more videos next time!