A Very Special Case.

You read the title and if you're anything like me you thought, "Oh, here we go....ANOTHER weight loss story. She's probably going to try to sell me something or even worse tell me how she gave up carbs, protein, fast food and showers then BOOM lost 50 pounds". Seriously, that's where my mind would go and I'm not goin to do either of those. I'm not going to go into my past or my childhood relationship with food and tell you that my my overeating and love for all things sweet started in Kindergarten because it didn't. I was naturally thin until I started having kids honestly. During my my pregnancies I gained 40, 50, and 60+ pounds. Sometimes, I held onto half the weight of the pregnancy before and then would gain some. After Case (our fourth and last baby) It was a roller coaster of losses and gains, Simple stresses like on-going insurance issues, prolonged hospital stays and DMES that never kept their promises would cause stress eating. The big, scary ...

In honor of the amazing holiday season that is slipping by us so quickly, I’m going to list out a few of my favorite things! The things that help me keep my head above water, help me stay healthy and save me sacred, sacred time! As a mom, career woman, caregiver, mock nurse to our youngest with many medical complications and the crazy lady in charge of keeping all of this afloat, I need help. I need energy. I needed to find resources to help because, like most every mom, I can not do this alone!  So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are 10 of my favorite things. My time saving, self caring, mom friendly, favorite things! WalMart Grocery Pick Up. Seriously guys, this is a GAME CHANGER! If it’s available in your area and you aren’t using it, start. Now. Close this blog and make your grocery order! An easier life is just a few clicks away.... Amazon Subscribe and Save. Truth: I haven’t bought toilet paper from the store in over a year! I get my paper produ...

Oh, December I have a love-hate relationship with you. I love you because you’re December!  You sprinkle beautiful, white bliss all over the dread grass and bare trees. You bring comfort and joy! You host the holiday that I’ve loved since I was a child and love even more as a mother! You are beautiful and giving. You’re full of cookies and eggnog and all of my favorite foods. I LOVE that about you. But....I struggle with you. Every year, I struggle with you. You bring sadness and painful memories. You remind me of everything that was almost taken away from me. You remind me of how close I was to losing my son. You host memories of unbearable news and long, heart wrenching sonograms. You are the month that held the words, “prepare to bury  your child” and, “your baby’s body is broken. He just wasn’t wired right”. You hold lies. You remind me every year of the scary 24 hours before you marked our son's December 21st birthday. The 24 hours of breath holding, non-stress testing a...

Guys....I used to be TERRIBLE at this. Now, I’m just not great at it. Living in the moment. It sounds easy enough but really, it takes conscious effort to enjoy the good life gives you while NOT dreading what feels like the inevitable. Whether it’s another hospital admission, a decline in my son’s health or a new, scary diagnosis. It’s a mix of fear and anxiety. It’s total lack of control. It’s a lot of things but what living in fear of the future really is, is giving into the thief of living joyfully in the moment. Whether the fear is loud and noticeable or a consistent white nose playing in your brain, it’s toxic. Honestly, it took me years to even realize this is what I was doing. I knew I was worried all of the time. When my phone would buzz with a text form whoever was caring for my son or Case felt even slightly hot I started planning a hospital stay in my brain. I’ve planned hundreds of these that never even happened. This isn’t something I’m proud or even like talking about. It...

The holidays are CRAZY. Add kids, they get crazier, add a child with any kid of extra needs or medical complications and they sometimes can feel unbearable....The holidays are supposed to be fun, the happiest time of the year and I know for me, they can get stressful. I have often let worry and anxiety steal all of the beauty and joy the holidays hold. As mom's and dad's of special, medical kiddos, we need to take that joy back! I see some of you and you are SO good at that! You are usually just so happy to be out of the hospital for another holiday that nothing else matters and you do what works best for YOUR family. You enjoy the holidays because you've been doing them long enough to know what works and what doesn't. You've started some new traditions and maybe don't force some of the old ones because they don't jive well with your new normal. Guys, if you haven't already, it's time to TAKE THE HOLIDAYS BACK! Here are ten tips, tricks and hacks t...

Here is is! Christmas 2018 give back project is ready to roll! Visit visit the event page for more info! https://www.facebook.com/events/308791043060575/

Taking care of a child with complex medical needs is the hardest thing I've ever done. By hard, I don't mean impossible or miserable just hard. Our son Case is seven years old and has a list of medical needs longer than my arm and it would take an entire blog to list them all but lately, his biggest battle is a severe intestinal disorder. He is feeding tube and IV nutrition dependent. As parents, Dan and I don't just care for him medically, we order meds, make sure supplies come on time, go to IEPs and therapies, visit specialist after specialist after specialist. We've watched him endure so many invasive medical procedures my stomach turns when I allow myself to really think about it. That's just the short list of what medical mom's and dad's endure. One of the most frustrating battles we have had to fight is the dreaded insurance battle.... Within the past few months, our son’s primary insurance (the one we pay for, not the one through the state) started...