health

Sick

Posted on January 7, 2013 Written by Tonya

My head is pounding.

I move from our bed to the couch and back again.

There have been long nights of coughing fits, propped up pillows, extra blankets, a humidifier blowing eucalyptus into our space and a very confused puppy.

Lucas went to preschool today with a runny nose and severe bed head. Sue me!

It was the first time I’d driven in three days. I wore my slippers.

I haven’t washed my hair since Wednesday. Talk about bed head.

I’ve taken so many doses of Alka-Seltzer Serve Cold & Flu and Nyquil that I should have started feeling better yesterday.

I’ve personally gone through almost three boxes of Kleenex.

I’ve played (and lost) countless rounds of Words With Friends, Scrabble, Scramble and Solitaire.

We’ve gone through two jugs of OJ and tons of water.

There have three trips to the drug/grocery store.

I’ve read one book and made a vat of my favorite soup.

This is not how I wanted to start 2013.

Being sick sucks! It might be time to call the doctor…

I know our home isn’t the only one that has been hit by this plague, so take care and get well soon!

From The Mother Of A Precious Preemie

Posted on January 31, 2012 Written by Tonya

My Letters For You guest today is Erin of My Little Miracles. This woman is a true survivor and has a thing or two to say to prematurity in preemies and does it with only the grace and stye that a mother can.

Please welcome Erin!

Dear Prematurity in Babies (in particular MY baby),

You think that you may have won, laughing at me all the way. Bringing my baby, my youngest into the world 8 weeks early. Were you trying to prove something? Did you just want there to be another Virgo in the household? Maybe you knew we had just bought out house 2 weeks prior and were scheduled to move the day after you threw my youngest into the world?

You have done several things in bringing him into the world so early; you have made me fiercely over protective of my baby. I worry about him constantly, he didn’t meet “normal” milestones. He didn’t crawl until almost a year, I had to carry him everywhere until he was 18 months. At 2 he still wasn’t talking. We went through testing for autism followed by speech therapy and countless sleepless nights wondering if I was a good mommy.

You brought him into this world not breathing, you gave him a narrowed airway and to top it all off you threw in a little asthma. Thought that would be fun did you?

Because of you we have spent to many days in the hospital for RSV, more than enough hours in the ER, way to many nights being woke up in the middle of the night by that croupy cough and that struggle for breath that sends us running and we have had our share of breathing treatments, steroids, antibiotics and worry.

But two things you didn’t count on, Me being his mom, and Him being able to stand up to you. Aside from all that you have done to try and strip me of my happiness with him, and drain his spirit for life, you have failed, miserably.

You may get him down and out every now and again, and you may have me up worrying and crying for all that he may be missing out on. A childhood where he sometimes needs to say “I can’t run and play today with the other kids because I have asthma”.

I wanted to let you know a few things you failed to do, you failed to destroy the bond that he and I will always have. You haven’t taken away his ambition and his strive to be everything he was meant to be. And most importantly, despite all the oxygen you have deprived him of, he is the smartest 3.5 year old little boy and only getting smarter!

If that isn’t the biggest flip of the bird from him to you, I don’t know what is!

You really should think next time you bring another baby into the world before they are ready, because they will give you a run for your money!

Have a nice day!

Sincerely,
Erin, mother to a precious preemie.

If I Could…

Posted on November 27, 2011 Written by Tonya

Everyone in my house has been sick for weeks.

Nothing more serious than colds, but the lingering cough has become beyond annoying.

Poor Lucas has suffered the longest and I feel terrible for him. His sleep is disrupted and play time hindered.

His life would greatly improve if he could only blow his tiny little nose.

We run a humidifier at night and have gone through a tub of Vicks VapoRub.

Like every mother, I don’t want my son to suffer from anything. Ever. And if I could, I’d take away his cough.

I would also make sure he never had a blister, ice cream headache, pimple, paper cut, cold sore, food poisoning, heart burn, hiccups, allergies, body odor, carpal tunnel syndrome, sleepless night, heart break, skinned knee, hang nail, chafing, sprained ankle, jet lag, heat stroke, tennis elbow, crick in his neck, bruise, pink eye, dandruff, stubbed toe, sunburn, tooth ache, dislocated shoulder, cracked rib, electric shock, torn ligament, fever, sore throat, or hacking cough.

I would just settle for being able to prevent my family from passing this nasty cold back and forth and make preschool a healthy place to be rather than a cesspool of germs and ick.

I’m just saying…

Calming The Mind

Posted on August 31, 2011 Written by Tonya

The lights have been dimmed and the curtains drawn.

There is pleasant flute music playing in the background and I smell lavender.

I’m trying to quiet my mind.

I feel the warmth of a heat lamp placed directly above my stomach as I lay flat on my back with a circular pillow supporting my knees.

The faint sound of bass rises from the fitness center downstairs and interrupts my thoughts, but only for a moment.

I am careful not to move.

I wish I were getting a massage, but the effects would not be as lasting, instead I have 14 tiny needles in my body; two in each ear, two in each leg, one in each foot, three in my stomach and one in my left wrist. I’m still uncertain of each of their functions, but I trust in the ancient, time-tested technique.

The needles don’t hurt at all, but I feel ridiculous. I will stay like this for 20 minutes.

This is my third treatment, all in an effort to increase blood flow to my uterus, flush out my system and reduce stress and anxiety.

I am optimistic.

If I’m Lucky

Posted on March 10, 2011 Written by Tonya

I am pushing 40 with both hands.

40.

I remember when 40 was old.

I’m not dreading growing old(er) all that much. I honestly don’t mind the numbers of years I am because I don’t feel a day over 33. I believe aging is both a state of mind and a physiological fact.

Sure it takes me longer to bounce back from the flu, lose the customary holiday five pounds I gain and hangovers feel like death, but I still feel 33.

It’s hard to believe that in just 15 short months, I’ll be ringing in a brand new decade.

Some of my best friends are already there, the big 4-0 and they exude high energy, vitality and youthfulness. They look amazing and I hope to be just like that in June, 2012.

Too bad there are always the ugly voices. You know the ones…. the voices in our heads that tell us that everything of value is young and new and I’m simply not anymore.

The voices that both criticize and curse every new wrinkle, flaw, blemish and gray hair that sprouts up.

The voices that convince that jumping out of an airplane, getting a tattoo, taking up pilates, learning a foreign language and getting Botox will make us feel and look young again.

Some days my face feels so disorganized. Everything is shifting and it’s almost as if it’s been hanging in the closet for too long. I feel unattractive, haggard and tired. Perhaps it’s just motherhood? I don’t feel that way on the inside, so it’s hard to witness the changes occurring on the outside.

If I’m lucky, every once in a while the voices subside and I recall why I have crow’s feet, furrows along my brow and lines around my mouth and I see the pure and simple beauty in them.

I’m proud of my lines and my age because I’ve earned them. I’ve laughed until I cried and cried until I laughed. I have lived, loved, lost, fell down, picked myself back up, traveled, read, seen, met, stuck my foot in my mouth, tasted, heard, touched, experienced, shared, learned and still want more!

I love each and every single line on my face because they make up my beautiful life. All 38 years of it, but only if I’m lucky.

This post is for The Red Dress Club’s writing assignment, Red Writing Hood. This week’s prompt was to write a short piece, either fiction or non-fiction, about something ugly – and find the beauty in it.

post signature

Project Smile – February

Posted on February 28, 2011 Written by Tonya

It’s hard to believe it’s March 1 already! Where is 2011 going?

Some days are definitely better than others, but I LOVE Alicia (A Beautiful Mess) for putting together this monthly meme so that I challenge myself to smile through my frustration, confusion and whatever other negativity I may be experiencing each and every single day.

Here’s February:

1st – Nail appointment! I live for these…
2nd – Fun with aunt Leah on the Santa Monica Pier.
3rd – A walk with a friend.
4th – Play date at the beach and Lucas meets a new friend with lots of “choo choos”. Learning to share is hard work.
5th – Date night!
6th – Recovery and Super Bowl commercials.
7th – A nice long dinner with my dear friend, Lindsey.
8th – Jerk chicken salad at ZTeja’s.
9th – First day of Ritual Cleanse juice detox! Read all about my experience here.
10th – Made it through Day 1 and discovered my new favorite beverage, green tea.
11th – Bouncy house play date with Jackson and Cody and last day of cleanse!
12th – Nothing but blue skies, sunshine and real food.
13th – Family bike ride followed by massages at Pelican Hill. Read my Thoughts From The Massage Table.
14th – Valentine’s Day and play date with Emma and Annie.
15th – First meeting with my new women’s group… more on this in a later post.
16th – Date night!
17th – A weekend visit from Grandma.
18th – A dinner out that was maybe 35 minutes long. You just have to laugh.
19th – 80’s Prom Birthday Party! See then and now photos here.
20th – Deli sandwiches.
21st – A walk along the beach with friends after music class.
22nd – This was a rough week with the entire household coming down with a nasty cold. Lucas has been hit the worst. 23rd – Jammy day, pediatrician appointment and an unforgettable trip to the drug store.
24th – Babysitters, that are hopefully immune to the flu.
25th – One hour in Babies R Us and three baby gifts purchased. Nice to get out of the house.
26th – A visit to LA to see aunt Leah with no traffic coming or going. Shocking!!
27th – Finally starting to feel better and you know what that means? Back on the treadmill.
28th – Headaches that go away, fevers that break, humidifiers that help babies sleep and taking a chance!

Be sure to share your reasons to smile in February by visiting Alicia at A Beautiful Mess, or just stop by to check out her fancy new blog design and smile with some other lists.

See what had me grinning from ear to ear in January here.

post signature

No Related Posts

Running Amok

Posted on February 23, 2011 Written by Tonya

When it comes to my home, I run a pretty tight ship and everything has it’s place; from my kitchen pantry and linen closet to my laundry room and everything in between. I like color coordinating and alphabetization. I thrive on cleanliness and organization. I am anal about order, putting stuff away, not leaving dishes in the sink, making the bed as soon as the last person gets up and there is no eating in my car, ever! I have a lot of stuff, but everything has a home.

Yes, all of this with a toddler.

Lucas has his own play area in our home in a room that is off from our kitchen. This is the ONE and only room of the house that I TRY to wait until the end of the day to pick up because it is his space, the place where we spend the most time together and I want him to be comfortable here and be able to make a mess and not worry about it.

Okay, when he is napping I do put everything back for Round 2.

I’m trying to teach him to “clean up” after he’s finished with one activity before moving on to the next. Let’s just say, we have a long road ahead of us…

Neither of us feel well today, so in between waiting for the bleepity bleep washing machine repair man to arrive (don’t you just love four hour windows?), watching WAY too much television and a pediatrician’s appointment, I sort of let Lucas run amok.

NOTE TO SELF #1: Disaster is bound to happen when you allow a toddler run amok.

First there was this, the mess in his bedroom, where I found dozens of puzzle pieces, books and stuffed animals strewn about and dresser drawers opened. I didn’t even know he could open them!

While I was cleaning up his bedroom, another mess was being created in a different part of the house:

Not quite the crime scene that Mommy of a Monster’s twins left her, but shocking to walk in on, nevertheless.

I’m just thankful that all pens still and their caps on. Apparently, he was after the car and/or the snack cup.

The best part is the “I didn’t do anything” look on his face.

By the way, yes, I do carry three packages of Kleenex. What’s it to ya?

Clearly, my purse isn’t quite as put together as my home.

NOTE TO SELF #2: NEVER leave purse on dining room table again!

This post is for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop Prompt 2.) What did they get into now? Describe a time your toddler got into something they shouldn’t have.

post signature

No Related Posts

Mindful Eating

Posted on February 16, 2011 Written by Tonya

I love food!

I love chips and salsa (the spicier the better), deep dish pepperoni pizza, big fat juicy cheeseburgers with all the fixings and a side of French fries, chocolate chip ice cream, sandwiches never without a bag of potato chips nearby, several glasses of wine at the end of my evenings and at least two Diet Cokes a day.

I didn’t eat poorly every day and when I did, I’d pay for it at the gym, on long walks to and from parks or by depriving myself for days following.

That was then and this is now.

I don’t think about food the same way any more.

It’s been one week since my husband I started the 3-day Ritual Cleanse and all everyone seems to want to know is how much weight we lost.

We didn’t do the juice diet to lose weight, but I did drop three pounds, all of which, I’m sure I have gained back because it was probably just water weight.

More important than the weight loss, I feel good and I did throughout the entire three days of the cleanse. Well, except for a minor headache at the beginning of Day 2, but it was nothing a little green tea couldn’t cure.

Day 1 was just odd. Drinking only juice and peeing A LOT and by bedtime, I was really hungry, but I pressed on…

Day 2 was my best day, I had tons of energy and felt absolutely amazing. Not having that bloated or tired or run down feeling was new to me and I liked it and wanted more of it!

Day 3 went very well too, but I was starting to get nervous about eating “real” food again the following day and didn’t want the goodness I was doing for my body to stop after I had used so much will power to stick to this three day detox.

Day 3 also prompted a lot of conversation about the way we eat as a family and different choices we wanted to make to our diet going forward. I still haven’t had a Diet Coke and don’t know when or if I will. I’m reading more labels at the super market and trying to buy only fresh organic produce and products.

My husband and I are already talking about doing the cleanse again this Spring. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!!

If you are interested in doing something wonderful for your body in order to reset it and make more mindful eating choices, I highly suggest Ritual Cleanse.

If you have any questions about my experience or want to read more about why we did the cleanse and my half way point, here are two previous posts: Time To Detoxand Ritual Cleanse – Half Way Point and I can always be reached at smadaaynot@yahoo.com.

Thank you, Ritual Cleanse!

post signature

Ritual Cleanse – Half Way Point

Posted on February 10, 2011 Written by Tonya

It took every ounce of willpower that I had this morning not to head straight for IHOP. I woke up ready to eat like a horse and had a nasty headache. Instead of a full stack of pancakes with a side order of bacon and a large Diet Coke, I drank another Ritual Cleanse juice and went on a 6.50 mile walk!

It’s the end of Day 2 of my juice detox and I feel fantastic! I’m serious. Maybe it’s because I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking, or maybe, just maybe, this stuff really works.

I feel energized and focused and I’m loving the juices…. There are six different flavors per day made with fresh, organic, nutritious and delicious fruits, vegetables and spices: pomegranate, coconut water, spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, ginger, lemon, apple, cashews, agave, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and more!

It’s hard to believe I haven’t had anything to eat since Tuesday night and while there have been some very tempting moments, I have not cheated once! This is huge considering there are toddler snacks all over my house and I’m feeding my son three meals a day. Macaroni and cheese never looked so good.

I knew going without caffeine/my beloved Diet Coke was going to be the hardest part for me so I kept waiting for the headache. When I finally woke up with it, I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it through the day, but as soon as I drank some green tea, I instantly felt better. I doubt I’ll ever be able to give up my Diet Coke addiction, but I am certainly going to cut WAY back!
Not feeling full and bloated has been great too.

Since all I’m doing is drinking juice and lots of water, I’m peeing a lot more than usual. I had to stop twice on my walk.

And, I know this will sound strange, but I missing chewing, so I’ve had two pieces of SUGAR FREE gum, for what it’s worth.

Yay me! One more day to go….

post signature

Time To Detox

Posted on February 8, 2011 Written by Tonya

My husband and I are doing something utterly insane this week. Well, okay, it’s not that crazy, people do it all the time. In fact, little did I know, Todd has actually done it several times in the past and for a lot longer period of time.

What are we doing?

We are cleansing! For the next three days, we will eat and drink nothing but juice and water.

We are using a friend of a friend’s product called Ritual Cleanse. We are doing the Seasonal Reset Cleanse; which consists of six fresh pressed pure vegetable, fruit and nut juices a day, one every two hours for three days.Before signing up, I tasted these juices and they are delicious! I’ve also heard nothing but great things about the outcome, so I am really excited (or as excited as one can be over starving themselves for 72 hours).

I digress…

People cleanse for many different reasons; it’s a quick, easy, efficient way to flush the whole body and reset all its systems. For some it’s all about the weight loss. For me, I’m not interested in losing any weight, although, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be thrilled to see a lower number on the scale after three days of not eating. Between moving and the holidays, there has been a lot of late night eating, take out, fast food and alcohol, so my personal goal is to detox my insides and jump start my body for a healthier way of eating.

I’m sure by the middle of Day 2, I’ll have a raging headache and want to eat my arm off, but I’m trying to stay positive and I am very committed to doing this.

We start tomorrow and I will be tweeting about my experience follow me here: @letters4lucas and I’ll post an update here next week.Stay tuned and wish us luck!

post signature

Sick

Related Posts:

From The Mother Of A Precious Preemie

Related Posts:

If I Could…

Related Posts:

Calming The Mind

Related Posts:

If I’m Lucky

Related Posts:

Running Amok

Related Posts:

Mindful Eating

Related Posts:

Ritual Cleanse – Half Way Point

Related Posts:

Time To Detox

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

What I Write About